


The Home I Needed

by Endlesswriter03



Category: Archie Comics & Related Fandoms, Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Angst, Bullying, Christmas Time, Christmas fic, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, First Loves, Fluff, Friendship, Gladys is canceled, Jughead is a teen parent, Minor Character Death, Romance, School Clubs, Strangers to Lovers, bughead - Freeform, bughead duet, maybe some smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-30
Updated: 2019-04-29
Packaged: 2019-09-02 18:47:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 38,450
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16792648
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Endlesswriter03/pseuds/Endlesswriter03
Summary: The only things Jughead had to his name was the 50 bucks in his pocket, his car, and his son who was currently asleep in the back seat. Being a seventeen-year-old parent was not easy, and it was even harder when you have nowhere to live after your mother kicks him and his son out of the house. With nowhere else to turn, Jughead heads to Riverdale to visit his dad, someone he had not spoken to in years, hoping he would help him until he could stand on his own two feet. There were only two conditions he had to follow: He had to pick an extracurricular activity and keep his grades up. Jughead finally felt as if he could breathe again well that was until a certain blonde came crashing into his life with those damn green eyes of hers that haunts his dreams at night. But that is impossible right; no girl could ever wreak havoc in his life or his heart again...right?





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to my lovely betas! Exmachina187 and RosieXXVI

_Chapter One_

Jughead sighed dropping down into his seat. He placed the application against the steering wheel. His hands, while he filled out all the necessary information, shaking from the cold and anticipation for a steady job. A job that he desperately needed or he would be broke, but really, who the hell was he kidding? He was already broke. He pushed those thoughts out of his mind to focus on the matter at hand. Once he was finished, he took the application back inside to the person at the counter.

“Alright, thank you,” the lady nodded as she looking over the paper. “I will give this to the manager and we will be in touch with you shortly.”

“That would a great, thank you. Please let them know that I can start tomorrow,” Jughead urged. He hated to sound so weak, but he didn’t really have any other option.

“I will pass that along,” the elderly lady said, placing the application on the counter. “We will be in touch soon,” she repeated.

“I can work for a couple of hours. I will only work for tips,” Jughead informed her, his hand clutching the counter. “I won’t be any hassle, I promise. I just need something where I can start right away.”

“Well, I am sorry, my dear,” the lady sighed regretfully placing a cold hand on top of his. “But it will probably sometime next week as tomorrow is Thanksgiving and we will be closed until Monday.”

Jughead felt his shoulders sag as he listened to what the lady had to say. “I understand,” he said defeatedly as it was the same response that he had received many times through the day. He felt his stomach revolt and he didn’t know if he was hungry or on the verge of getting sick.

“Would you like something from the menu?” the lady asked pointing up at it.

Jughead smiled gratefully as his stomach started to jump for joy, but dimmed as he shook his head. “I can’t, but thank you for your time.” He said beginning to turn around to the door when he heard her speak once more.

“Nonsense,” the lady waved her hand at him before walking over to a buffet and began filling a plate with bacon, eggs, and toast before placing it in front of the stool. “Have a seat and warm up a bit. You look like you are about to turn into an icicle.”

“It is freezing outside,” Jughead looking over his shoulder to see that it had begun snowing once again. “The sky is even shitting ice.”

“That is one way of putting it,” the elderly lady chuckled at his outright forward response and pointed to the chair. “Now stop stalling and sit.”

“I really can’t,” Jughead said holding up his hands. “Thank you for the offer.” He sent her a grateful smile and the lady looked at him walking around the counter, placing her hands on his shoulders moving him over to the chair and pushing him down into the seat. “You look like you haven’t had a bite all day.”

He hadn’t, but he was not about to tell her that. He didn’t want to offload his burdens on to someone he didn’t know. “This isn’t really necessary,” he told her honestly.

The lady turned away from him once more pouring two cups of coffee before placing them down. Jughead almost wanted to weep at the scent hitting his nose. He could afford a small cup of coffee, he thought to himself as he wrapped his hand around the mug. The heat searing through his fingertips and into his body. The growling in his stomach took over and he soon he was looking at a clean plate. He sat back in the stool as he wiped his mouth.

“How was that?” the lady asked as she picked up the plate.

“That was one of the best meals I’ve ever had,” Jughead smiled as he downed his second cup of coffee and he reached into his pocket to pull his thin wallet, hoping he had enough to cover the meal. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome and don’t worry about the price,” the lady told him and Jughead looked up at the lady in shock. “I have a grandson about your age. He would always come into the house with that hungry look in his eyes after a hard day of work in the summertime.”

“I can pay for it,” Jughead offered as he opened his wallet, wincing as he saw that he only had a ten dollar bill inside. He swallowed as the reality of his world came rushing back and he remembered that he needed to stop to get diapers before heading home.

“It’s on the house,” the lady told him gently as she pushed his hand away. Jughead was about to protest when he heard his cell phone chime in his pocket. He glanced at the clock on the wall to see the time was nearing 2:30.

“I need to get going,” Jughead sighed as he got out of his seat and smiled kindly at the lady. “Thank you for the meal.”

“No problem. I hope you have a nice holiday,” the lady nodded at him as she turned to a new customer that walked into the place.

Jughead grimaced as he walked out into the frigid air which made him pull his jacket tighter around him. He got into his car where he quickly cranked it up to get the heater going. Jughead then remembered to check his phone and it was the person he expected to be. His mother. She was wondering where he was at and telling him that he needed to get home. He looked around to make sure there were no people he could run over before pulling out of his space heading for the store.

Forty-five minutes later, Jughead pulled into the driveway of his house. He pulled his seatbelt off as he reached over for the bag of diapers. The bag of diapers that took over a half an hour to get because the lines in the store were backed up from people getting their last minute items for Thanksgiving and the glares he received as he reached over for the diapers were even colder than the air outside the store. Toledo was the not the warmest place in the world and the holidays made the city turn evil, he decided as he walked into the house where he was greeted by his mother.

“It is about time that you got home,” Gladys sighed as she walked over to him with her hands on her hips. “I sent that message to you an hour ago and now I am going to be late for work.”

“Sorry,” Jughead said looking down to his feet. “The store was crowded,” he explained as he held up the diapers placing them on the table.

“You just now went to the store?” Gladys gaped at him before shaking her head. “I told you that they would be packed. Why won’t you ever listen to me? Why did you put the store off?”

“To apply for jobs,” Jughead reminded her as he pulled his jacket off of him. “You know I have been looking everywhere for a job, Mom.”

“Well, if you didn’t miss all those days at your last one then you would still have a job,” Gladys reminded him coldly.

Jughead glared at her. “I only missed those days because Josh was sick. Remember? I couldn’t just go to work when my son had a fever of 103 that resulted in a hospital stay. Where is he by the way?” Jughead looked around the room and frowned when he didn’t see the baby in question.

“He is asleep in his bed,” Gladys said pointing to Jughead’s room. “Did you find anything on your search?” She asked him.

Jughead shook his head as he sat down at the table, “No, everywhere I applied today said that it would be next week before I hear anything.” Jughead covered his face with his hands.

Gladys rolled her eyes as she sat down across from him. “You need to find work. You have a child that you need to provide for.”

“You don’t think I know that?” Jughead snapped pulling his hands away to glare at his mother. “I am trying as best as I can .”

“Well, it’s not good enough,” Gladys scoffed as she crossed her arms. “Also, where is the rent that was due yesterday? It’s missing from my purse.”

Jughead shrugged. “I don’t know and I don’t go into your purse,” he told her pulling his beanie off of his head.

“Then where did you get the money for the diapers today?” Gladys asked him and he turned an eyebrow up at him.

“I have a few dollars to my name and I used what I had for them,” Jughead answered slowly. “Are you implying that I took the rent money?”

“Well, you were the only one in the house yesterday,” Gladys remarked shortly. “I need that rent money back or we will lose this house.”

“I didn’t take the money,” Jughead shot back defensively. “I know better than to steal from people. Are you sure it was not Bill? He was here yesterday as well.”

“He was?” Gladys tilted her head to the side and shook her head. “No. He would not steal from me. Bill is an honest man. He also has a job and works hard for his money. Do you want to tell me the next lie?”

Jughead felt his eyes go wide. “You think I am lying to you?” He scoffed trying to mask the hurt lacing his voice. He could not believe that his mother would accuse him of such things. He stood up from his chair. “You actually think that I am lying to you?” He asked.

Gladys nodded. “Yes, I do. You have changed a lot in the last year and I am not liking what I am seeing.”

Jughead glared at her. “I have not changed Mom. I am the same person that I have always been. The lonely outsider who never fit in anywhere. Then I got a girl pregnant and now I am raising my child on my own. So yeah, I changed. Becoming a parent does that to a person, I guess. But I didn’t change enough to where I would stoop low enough to steal from you, Mom.” He turned from her, heading to his room.

“Then you can no longer stay here.”

Jughead whipped around to look at his mother. “What?” He asked her unable to believe the words that he had just said. He watched as Gladys turned around with her arms across her chest and her eyes narrowed at him.

“You heard me. You will need to find another place to live because I will not tolerate stealing under my roof,” Gladys told him.

Jughead felt his jaw drop as he realized what was happening, nor could he believe that it was his own mother throwing him to the curb. “You are kicking me out of my own home?” He felt his limbs go numb with shock as he began thinking of places for them to stay.

“I sure am,” Gladys nodded. “The only way that you will be able to come back under this roof is when you pay back the funds you have taken from me.”

“I haven’t taken anything,” Jughead bellowed at her, mainly due to the panic flooding his mind. “Please, don’t do this to me, Mom. Where am I going to go?”

“That is not my concern,” Gladys said coldly. “Bill says that tough love is the only way to raise good kids. This is my way. Please be gone by the time I get home and leave your keys on the counter before I leave. If you are not gone by the time I am back I will call the police and charge you with theft. I am sorry, son. This is for your own good.”

“Mom,” Jughead pleaded, tears stinging his eyes, but Gladys turned from away from him and walked out the door without another word. Jughead leaned against the counter to keep himself from falling to the floor, waiting for the moment when she decided to come back into the room. To tell him it was just a joke, but as the minutes ticked away it came clear that this was no joke at all. Jughead cupped his mouth as he went into his room to check on Josh. Josh, his little boy, who was still soundly asleep with no awareness of the world around him. He gripped the sides of Josh’s crib as he looked around the room wondering what he could take with him or if he should. His car would only hold so much.

Where the hell was he going to go? Jellybean was currently enrolled at Stanford University which was in California, a place he would never make it to. Even if he had the money for a hotel room, he was sure that many of them were filled with the brim of holiday travelers and the rates would be an arm and a leg. And he couldn’t donate plasma for money as it had only been two weeks since his last visit. He had used that money to pay for his phone bill and Josh’s formula and diapers. Anything left over went into savings which often supplied the gas in his car. His savings! He pulled away from the crib, dropping to his knees at his dresser and reached underneath to the hiding spot, pulling out an old cookie tin pulling the top off. Jughead pulled what little bills he had and counted fifty dollars. Fifty dollars. It was not much, but it could get him a night somewhere. Or at least he hoped it would.

Knowing he was short on time, Jughead emptied his book bag, replacing them with what he could of his clothes for himself. He pulled out an old duffle bag which he used for Josh’s clothes and a few blankets. He used Josh’s diaper bag for his bottles, food and, of course, diapers. Before he knew it, Jughead was standing in the middle of his room wondering what he could take with him and decided what he had packed was enough and would have to do until things were better for them... If they got better.

Jughead took the moment to gather his thoughts, when the fact that he was homeless hit him, breaking his resolve to its core. He dropped down on his knees, his head hanging downwards as he stared at the chipped edges of the cheap edges of the tiles on the floor. He felt his beanie fall to the ground. Unshed tears blurred his vision, feeling defeated and not knowing what to do anymore. He didn’t have any friends that he could stay with, most of the kids at his school being assholes and he would always avoid them as much a possible. And school… What the hell was he going to do about that? He had made a promise to Josh when he was born, that he would finish school in order for Josh to have a better life. More tears filled his eyes as anger flooded through Jughead’s body as he thought back to his mother’s cruelty and her accusations.

Jughead might be lost as to what his next decision should be, but he did know one thing.

He did not take that money out of his mother’s purse. Hell, he didn’t even know it was in there. It was not something he did, going around thinking about what is in his mother’s purse. He had more important things to worry about, like taking care of his son. Which he was not doing a very good job of at the moment because they no longer had a place to live and he had no family members living in the area. Jughead felt his subconscious do a double take, stop and cast out a line to an idea that barely popped up around the edges and a hook snatched it up right away.

It was true that he didn’t have family in the area, but he did have family elsewhere. Jughead lifted his head out of hands and reached down to pick his beanie up off the floor. He ran the fabric through his fingers as he remembered the day his father gave it to him. His father whom he had not spoken to since he was five. His father who lived in another state, but was not impossible to reach. Jughead felt a seed of hope sprout in his chest while he pulled out his phone. As he looked over the details of the map, that seed of hope began to grow because he realized that this is what he had to do if he wanted to make it to the new year. He also knew that this was his only and final chance.

Jughead forced himself to get off the floor to finish packing. Once he had everything that he needed in the car, he placed Josh into his car seat, smiling as the baby barely stirred an inch. He was amazed by how well and deep the baby slept at times. He often wished that he could sleep the way Josh did. Jughead made sure to tuck his blanket in around him to make sure he was warm during their long journey before carrying him out to the car. Before Jughead got into the car, he went to the trunk of to make sure that he had everything that he needed. He even made sure that he had the folder containing his Josh’s custody papers, in case he ever needed them. Jughead turned around to the house behind him, remembering his mother’s demands of leaving his keys on the counter, but Jughead didn’t feel like going back into the house that no longer felt like a home to him. If he was ever honest to himself, it never felt like a home to him. So he pulled the house key off the ring and walked up the steps to leave it on the hook of the door knocker. Satisfied with his little action, he walked back, getting into the car with his son driving off with a promise to himself to never look back again.

-

-

-

It was nearing midnight when Jughead passed a sign that said: Welcome to Riverdale, The Town with Pep. He rolled his eyes at the cheesy slogan as he made a left turn on to the bridge that went to the Southside. He didn’t remember much about living here before his mom left his dad taking him and Jellybean with her, but he did remember where his dad lived. He had also stopped at a payphone to look up his dad’s name for his address and typed it into the GPS on his phone which he was now following. When he came off the bridge, he started to wonder if he had made a wrong turn when he started to see rundown buildings. He was lucky that he had his headlights because there were barely any working streetlights. Jughead heard a ding and looked down to see that his gas light had come on. His hands tightened around the wheel as he silently pleaded the car to make it to his destination. Jughead jumped in his seat when a car with bright lights came up behind him. A second later blue lights began flashing. He groaned as he realized it was a cop, but to his surprise, the car sped up and went around him which allowed him to let out a sigh of relief.

_“Your destination is on the right in 100 feet.”_

“We’re here, buddy,” Jughead said excitedly as he turned into what appeared to be a trailer park. He picked up his phone to read the lot number which turned out to be the fourth trailer on the left and pulled into the small driveway that held a pickup truck with a faded paint job and a motorcycle. He turned off the engine while he looked through the windshield at the trailer. He could see a light coming from one of the many windows. “Now comes the hard part,” He muttered as he got out of the car, flinching at the wintery air. He tucked a sleeping Josh close to his chest using his jacket to shield the infant from the cold and walked up the wooden steps. Jughead pulled Josh closer to his body as he knocked three times on the door. Jughead could feel the heavy footsteps shake the porch he was standing on as they made their way over to the door. He heard the scrape of the locks and soon he was looking FP Jones in the face. Jughead watched his dad’s eyes sweep over him before locking on his crowned beanie on the top of his head.

“Jughead is that you?” Fp asked sounding confused as he opened the door wider. “What are you doing here?”

Jughead let out a breath that he didn’t know he was holding. “Yeah, Dad. It’s me,” he answered quietly not wanting to be too loud to wake up any of the neighbors or the baby in his arms. He started to say something but his dad wrapped his hand down the base of his neck and pulled him into a tight embrace. “Easy,” Jughead said shifting out his father’s arms trying to avoid Josh from being squashed by the hug. FP looked down and his eyes widen.

“That is a baby,” FP pointed out, looking glancing up at him.

Jughead sniggered and nodded. “I know that it is a baby Dad. He’s -” he started to explain but FP tugged on his arm pulling him inside the house.

“Get in here out of the cold air, boy. Do you want him to get sick in this weather?” he asked him slamming the door close behind him. FP ran a hand through his hair before turning to his son. “What’s going on Jug?” He questioned as moved over to the chair sitting down then motioning over to the couch across the room to Jughead to do the same.

Jughead removed his jacket laying it down on the couch before placing a swaddled up and sound asleep Josh down on top of it. “I need your help,” he replied.

“I see and I guess that is the reason,” FP asked pointing to the baby. “Why are you here Jughead?” he added.

“I don’t know where to start,” Jughead admitted, sinking into the couch. He felt his eyes grow heavy as his body began to relax. “I’m sorry for showing up out of the blue, but I didn’t have anywhere else to go.” He said lifting his head up looking at the ceiling as he thought back to his day.

“What about your mom? Does she know where you are?” FP sought out. The mention of his mother sent raging anger through him that made him want to throw the coffee table across the room. But he refrained.

Jughead shook his head. “No, and I don’t think she really cares,” he muttered brokenly. He closed his eyes fighting against the tears that were threatening to appear once again. “Because she kicked me out today.”

“Why would she do that?” FP questioned him. “Tell me what happened.” His dad pressed and Jughead stood up in frustration.

“I don’t know what happened to be honest,” Jughead replied, beginning to pace the floor in front of his father. “She accused me of stealing the rent money from her.”

“Did you?”

“No, I didn’t take anything from her,” Jughead replied throwing his hands up in the air. “I tried to tell her that but I couldn’t get her to listen to me. I haven’t taken a dime from her since he was born. Even when I barely had the money for diapers a few weeks ago I still found a way to get by even if I had to sell something or donate plasma.”

“What about a job?”

“I had a job, but I lost it when Josh got sick,” Jughead explained tiredly. “And I haven’t been able to find anything since. I was out all day putting in applications and came back to my mother yelling at me to get out of her house accusing me of something I would never do.”

“So you came here?”

Jughead nodded. “I hope that is okay because I don’t have any money for a hotel.” He said looking down at the floor feeling like a complete failure that couldn’t provide for his son.

“How did you get here if you didn’t have the money?” FP asked him curiously. “Why do I smell gasoline?” FP looked around the room.

“I used what money I have for gas,” Jughead answered not looking. “And, I am afraid that is me because I had to siphon gas out of a few cars along the way or I would never have made it.”

“Why didn’t you call me?” Fp asked standing up from the chair walking over to his boy. He looked at him closely. “I could have sent you some money.”

“I didn’t know your number or if you wanted me to come,” Jughead said in a small voice. “Please let me stay. I promise that I won’t be here long, but I just need some time to get back on my feet. I will start looking for work today.” He urged in a wavering voice. He could feel his resolve breaking, ready to get on his hands and knees to beg his father. “I just…” Jughead covered his eyes with his hand feeling his spirit collapse leaving him feeling empty. Though he didn’t expect the feeling of arms wrapping around him as he broke down. He was tired. Just tired of life. If it wasn’t for Josh, he would have given it up a long time ago.

“It’s going to be okay,” FP said him moving his hand to cup the back of his son’s head. “You are going to be okay, Jughead.” He repeated not knowing what to do as he held the broken shell that what his son. The son he could barely recognize from the happy little boy that had left Riverdale all those years ago. The boy he let go because he thought it would be the best thing for him to have a better life.

After a few moments, Jughead pulled out of his father’s embrace. “Sorry,” He muttered feeling embarrassed by his moment of weakness while he wiped away the stickiness off his cheeks.

“Do not be sorry,” FP stated firmly. “And you are welcome to stay here as long as you need to.” He added and he saw the lost light in Jughead’s eyes shine briefly before dimming once again.

“Are you sure?” Jughead asked him. “We won’t be a problem I swear. I just need to save up money then we will be out of your hair.”

“What about school?” Fp asked him and he watched as Jughead’s shoulders sagged.

Jughead shook his head. “I’m not worried about school. I just need a job.” He said determinedly.

FP narrowed his eyes at Jughead. “You also need an education more than you need a job. Your education should come first.”

“His needs matter more,” Jughead argued pointing to the baby on the couch. “Josh is my only concern and also to pay you for staying here.”

FP shook his head at this. “You don’t have to pay to stay here, Jug. My only requirement is that you go to school and do something for yourself such as joining a club.”

“A club?” Jughead winced at the thought since social gatherings were not his thing. “I don’t know and I don’t have a babysitter to watch my kid. Are there any good daycares around here?”

“I will watch him for you while you are school and until you get home,” FP offered and Jughead felt like he was about to melt into the floor.

“Seriously?” Jughead gaped at him due to the generous offer. “You don’t have to you know. Don’t you have to work as well?”

“I do, but I am a manager at the diner up the road,” FP answered briefly. “I can move my schedule around to help you out. I do not mind watching him for you.”

Jughead was floored. “Why are you doing this?” He asked him because he was not used to people giving him a leg to stand on.

“Because you are my son,” FP explained to him. “And I wouldn’t mind getting to know my grandson, Josh is it?”

“Yeah, that his name,” Jughead smiled looking over to the couch where the baby had turned to his side. He walked over to the couch to sit down picking the little boy up letting him sleep in his arms.

“Who named him?”

“I did,” Jughead said pulling the blanket around Josh a little tighter knowing that the little boy hated to be cold.

“Where’s his mother? You didn’t run with him did you?”

“His mother is another story for another time. I really don’t feel like talking about it tonight, but I do have full legal custody of him. I have the papers in the car.” He said leaning his head against the cushion his eyes closing on their own accord.

FP walked through to the kitchen to the refrigerator to get a drink. “Did you want anything to eat?” He called to the living room. “I don’t have much but a couple of burgers from the diner I could warm up real quick.” When Jughead didn’t answer, FP looked over the door of the fridge to see that Jughead had fallen asleep with his arms tightly around the boy in his lap. FP gently closed the door and walked back only stopping to turn off the lamp. He grabbed a pillow out of the closet and placed it at the end of the couch along with a blanket. He made a mental note to clear the spare bedroom the next day. He also checked the thermostat turning the heat up so the place didn’t get too cold before retiring his room for the night.


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> FP and Jughead spend their Thanksgiving Holiday at a friend's house and sparks start to fly a little bit. Also, thank you to my beta, Exmachina187...You rock.

Chapter Two

The next morning, Jughead woke up to the sound of giggles. He opened his eyes to see a grey metal ceiling staring back at him through the harsh rays coming through the windows. He blinked as the previous day's events came rushing back to him. He remembered that he accidentally fell asleep with Josh on the couch like he had done so many nights before over the nine months. He heard another round of giggles that he knew so well that made him look down to find his arms empty. Feeling a rush of panic, Jughead sprang up in his seat looking around the room frantically.

“Josh,” He called out into the room wincing when his neck protested every movement as he got to his feet to look for his son.

“He’s right here,” FP said causing Jughead to turn around to see FP sitting at the kitchen table with Josh in his arms. Jughead felt his heart return to his chest as joined them at the table.

“Hey buddy,” Jughead said greeting the small boy. Josh gave him a smile which grew when FP handed him a cheerio. Jug chuckles as Josh used his hand to shove it into his mouth. “I see that you have gotten your favorite snack.” Jughead then turned to FP as Josh chewed on his food. “Why didn’t you wake me?” He asked him.

“You were sleeping good when this little guy woke up,” FP explained lightly. “I am guessing by the way you were snoring away, that it has been a while since you had a good rest.”

“It has been, but I don’t mind getting up with him,” Jughead said wiping the drool away from Josh’s mouth. “Do you want another?” He asked him holding up the round crisp. Josh took it into his wet hand and in the mouth, it went. “Do you need to be changed?”, he asked Josh softly.

“Nope,” FP said shaking his head. “I took care of that and I brought all your stuff and put it in the spare bedroom. Is that all the stuff you brought with you?”

“Yep,” Jughead sighed dejectedly. “I only took what I could fit into my car. Anything that I left I will have to replace with time.”

“Where is he going to sleep?”

“I have his pack and play, but he will probably end up sleeping in the bed with me,” Jughead said. “That is what usually happens at some point in the night anyway.”

FP nodded. “Well, I hope that you are hungry because every year I go to a friend’s house for Thanksgiving and I want you to come with me.”

Jughead looked up from Josh, who he’d started teasing by pulling the cheerios out of his reach, causing him to squeal out. “I don’t want to impose-,” He began to say but his dad waved him off.

“You won’t be imposing, Jughead,” FP said reassuringly. “You and Josh will be my guests. They tell me every year to bring someone with me and well, this year I am. And I hope you have two or three stomachs because the spread is massive.” He added holding his arms wide open.

“They won’t mind Josh?” Jughead asked hesitantly. There were not many people who would be so understanding of his choices and he didn’t feel like walking into one of those situations any time soon.

“Not at all. The more the merrier they always say,” FP sighed glancing at the clock. “We best start heading over there. I promised that I would help with the turkey this year and knowing Alice, she probably will burn the kitchen down.”

“She?” Jughead grinned slyly. “Are we going to your girlfriend’s house?” He asked with a smirk.

“Hell no,” FP retorted quickly. “We dated once in high school and that was enough for me. Even though it turned out bad for us, we remained close friends, but that is it. Besides, she is married.” He added, sounding mildly disappointed.

“I see,” Jughead nodded as he reached over removing Josh from his arms. “Well, let me get him ready and we can go.” He walked into the room and began looking for Josh’s clothes and his own.

“Don’t be nervous,” He told Josh wondering if he was telling Josh that or telling it to himself. He quickly pulled a blue shirt over Josh’s head working his arms through the sleeves then moved to the pants. Jughead placed blue socks on his feet followed by his shoes and Josh was ready to go.

“Now, I have to find something to wear,” He said leaving the little boy sitting up on the bed watching his every move. Jughead reached into the diaper bag and handed Josh his favorite stuffed toy which was a dinosaur that roared. Once Josh was occupied he worked on getting dressed choosing a red sweater with black jeans with his normal suspenders hanging by his side. When he was finished he picked Josh up off the bed and walked out into the living room where his father was waiting for them by the door.

“Ready?”

“Ready,” He said, placing the diaper bag on the shoulder and they were out the door. As FP drove down the road in the truck with Josh tucked safely between them. Jughead began seeing the town of Riverdale in broad daylight and a few things started sticking out to him, breaking out from the little golden moments he still remembered from his childhood spent here. When they passed an empty lot, he turned to look at it, the place looking oddly familiar until it suddenly clicked.

“Wasn’t that where the drive-in movie place used to be?” Jughead asked, turning around in his seat. He placed an arm over Josh.

“You remember the Twilight Drive-In?” FP asked, sounding surprised but not taking his eyes off the road.

Jughead nodded. “It is the only place I remember from this town. What happened to it?” He asked.

FP sighed. “The twenty-first century happened, kid. It used to be a very popular place, but then many people stopped going. Then the new movie place came into town basically cut off the rest of the blood supply so it ended up closing down.”

“That sucks,” Jughead grumbled watching the scenery as they drove over the long bridge crossing over to the Northside of Riverdale. Jughead couldn’t believe the difference what a few miles could make. The Northside looked like it was cut from a magazine with little shops lining with sidewalks with little pots of orange flowers giving the stretch an autumn feel to it. He actually felt as if he was driving through Stars Hallows from that show his sister made him watch with her. He couldn’t remember the title of the show, but he could remember the town’s name. Yeah, he was a weirdo and he was cool with that.

“That is where you will be going to school,” FP said pointing out the window as the passed a rather large building with the name Riverdale High School plastered everywhere. Jughead’s eyes widened at the size of the building. It could easily eat up the size of his school which consisted of one building with one floor where this school seemed to have two floors, maybe even three. “I’ll bring you down here to work on your transfer on Monday.”

Jughead sighed. “I really don’t have to go to school. I can just get a job and my GED later.” He told him.

FP turned to Jughead with a determined look in his eyes. “I will not let you settle for a GED, Jughead. You will go to school and earn your diploma as I told you last night. And I meant what I said about joining a club too, even if it is the chess club.”

“Chess club?” Jughead grimaced. “I don’t know how to play it and chess seems really boring. Like watching paint dry.”

“Well said,” FP chuckled, turning on to another street. “Are you into sports? You know I was the quarterback when I was in school, but football is over for the season. What about basketball? You are freakishly tall and would make a great player. I could talk to the coach for you.”

Jughead shook his head. “Sports isn’t my thing either. I never understood why people needed to score goals for fun. I am more the suffer in silence type of person.”

“What is something that you are interested in?”

“Well, I am into literature and music,” Jughead said pulling his finger away from Josh when he tried to stick it into his mouth.

“The school has plenty of clubs and activities. I am sure you will find something that will fit your style. And we are here,” FP said, pulling over to the curb shutting the engine off. He looked out the passenger window making Jughead follow his gaze to a two-story house with white siding with black shutters around every window with a set of concrete steps for a walkway that led to a bright red door. “Well, the house is still standing, so that is good news.” He huffed opening the door causing Jughead to chuckle while he worked on Josh’s buckle pulling him out of the seat then got out of the truck to join his father on the sidewalk. He followed FP up the stairs and to the door where FP knocked a few times. Seconds later, the door was opened by a middle-aged blonde woman glaring down at FP. The look made Jughead gulp a few times.

“Alice,” FP greeted with a playful smirk.

“How many times have I told you just to come on in the house?” She sighed at him crossing her arms with hands in yellow rubber gloves.

FP shrugged. “Maybe once or twice, I usually drown out your nagging after the first two minutes,” He teased earning him a slap on the arm by her. “Ow,” He cried holding his arm which prompted Josh to break into a small giggle pulling the woman’s attention off of FP. Her eyes widened at the sight of them.

“Who do we have here?” Alice asked melting into a warm smile at the baby in Jughead’s arms. “Come on in,” She said moving away from the door as they stepped inside the house.

FP grinned as he placed a hand on Jughead’s shoulder. “This is my son Jughead. He is going to be staying with me for a while. I hope you don’t mind that I brought him along.” He said.

“Not at all,” Alice said turning to Jughead holding out her hand. “Hello Jughead,” She greeted as he accepted the handshake. “I am Alice Cooper or Mrs. Cooper whichever you prefer.”

“It is nice to meet you, Mrs. Cooper,” He said pulling his hand away. “Thank you for having me.”

Alice blinked in surprise. “And very well mannered,” She said impressed and turned to the little boy. “And who is this?” She asked smiling at him.

“This is my son, Josh,” Jughead answered looking away from her suddenly feeling very nervous. It was something that he always felt when telling people who Josh was afraid of what they would say. There had been times where people’s comments were not kind which made him wary of people. He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see Alice smiling kindly at him.

“You don’t have to worry about any judgment coming from me,” She told him gently. “I understand,” Alice added before turning back to FP. “And you are a grandfather and never said anything?” She asked him as her eyes landed on the top of his head. “Well, you have been looking the part for the last several years with all the gray in your hair.” She snickered at him.

Jughead broke down in laughter as FP sent a harsh glare her way before heading into the kitchen. Alice shrugged when she looked back at Jughead. “At least you thought I was funny. That gives you extra brownie points.” She held her arms up to Josh. “May I? It’s been a while since I held one this little.”

“Sure,” Jughead nodded allowing her to take Josh from his arms. He smiled as Josh began to squeeze her nose which caused her to laugh.

“Make yourself at home Jughead. Let's head into the kitchen and have some cookies,” Alice offered and pointed to somewhere across the room. “If you want to watch TV the remote is on the mantle above the fireplace.” She told him as a loud crash came from the kitchen that made her cringe. She looked down at Josh. “Let’s go in the kitchen and make sure your grandpa doesn’t destroy it,” She said turning around.

“I heard that, Alice.”

“I’m sorry I thought your hearing aid was off grandpa,” Alice snipped as she walked in the room. Jughead, still feeling awkward with the unfamiliar warmth radiating off of his surroundings and clueless as to what he should do, stood his ground listening to the commotion happening across the hall. “What did you do in here?” She screeched and soon the adults were going back and forth at each other. Jughead chuckled as he set the diaper back down and Alice stuck her head around the corner telling him to follow her.

Jughead entered a white kitchen with stainless steel appliances and a dark wooden island in the middle. His dad was standing in front of the stove with his arm stuck inside the turkey. Alice sat down at the counter laughing that sight. “Have a seat,” She pointed to a place next to her where a small plate of cookies and a glass of milk awaited him.

“Have as much as you want,” She told him and started playing with Josh.

“Thank you,” Jughead said taking a seat and picked up one that looked to be a chocolate chip and took a bite. “Mmm, these are good,” He noted hoping not to sound like he was buttering up to her, but he was telling the truth. These were much better than the rocks his mother often made. He scowled as he pushed his mother out of his mind.

“I would love to take credit for those but my daughter made them this morning,” Alice told poking Josh in the stomach making him laugh. “Speaking of which, Elizabeth come down and say hello,” She called loudly up at the ceiling and a soft feminine voice followed that caused him to look up as well.

“I’ll be down in a minute, Mom.”

Jughead continued to munch away on the cookies as they were too good to stop with only one. Then he felt the sudden urged to go to the bathroom.

“Do you mind if I use your restroom?” Jughead asked looking at Alice.

“Go right ahead,” Alice replied pointing towards the stairs. “You’ll have to use the one on top of the stairs. The one down here is broken.” She explained with an apologetic look.

“Again?” FP sighed turning around with butter going up his arms. “I just fixed it last week.”

“I don’t know what the problem is,” Alice said shrugging at the man and turned back to Jughead. “Just go up the stairs and you’ll run into it, honey,” She told him.

Jughead nodded as he got out of his seat walking to the staircase going up the steps. He reached the first landing turning to go up the second set and a second set of footsteps bounding down the stairs. Before he could move out of the way, he found himself crashing into a girl causing her to fall back.

“Woah,” She yelped and he quickly wrapped his arm around her waist to try and prevent her from falling completely as she grabbed onto the railing. He couldn’t help but notice how perfectly she fit his arm. She let out a sigh of relief as she opened her eyes to look at him and he found himself getting lost in the green depths.

“Nice save, “She breathed before giving him an embarrassed smile as he helped to her feet. “I did not expect you to be there,” She laughed looking at him shyly through her long lashes.

“Likewise,” Jughead laughed. When he pulled his arm away he noticed a book lying on the steps. He reached behind her to pick it up. “I think you dropped this,” He said, handing her the book. “Don’t tell me you are a Romeo and Juliet fan,” He begged, reading the title when she took the book from his hand.

“No,” She laughed lightly shaking her head. “Not even a little. I am more of a Nancy Drew and Toni Morrison kind of girl. This is just for my AP English Lit assignment that is due on Monday. I am trying to get it to read so I can enjoy what is left of my holiday.” She explained softly holding up the book. Jughead wasn’t expecting that kind of response from her and it made him want to talk to her more. “Well, thank you for being my hero by preventing me from making a total ass of myself.”

“It was my fault. I should have been watching where I was going,” Jughead said, feeling his cheeks burn a bit.

She smiled at him and shook her head. “It was not your fault. It just happened unknowingly. Though I would like to know my hero’s name so I can thank him properly.” She added shyly.

“Oh, it’s Jughead,” He answered cringing, silently cursing his father for the nickname.

“Jughead,” She repeated slowly, testing its flow on her tongue. “I like it. It’s very original. Well, thank you Jughead and I’m Betty by the way.”

“So it’s not Juliet?” He asked liking the sound of her small giggle when she shook her head.

“It was nice to crash into you Betty,” Jughead smiled and he remembered why he was up here in the first place. “I need to use the bathroom actually.” He said feeling like a fool telling her that.

“Oh,” Betty said turning around to point at the room. “It is just up the stairs there,” She told him and then she heard the annoying voice of her mother.

“Betty, come help with the potatoes, please.”

Betty rolled her eyes as she responded. “I am on my way,” She yelled down the stairs then turned back to Jughead. “I swear if that woman does anything for herself, hell would freeze over.” She muttered to him. “But you never heard me say that.”

“Your secret is safe with me,” He laughed and she smiled again lighting up her green eyes. And he wondered if her cheeks were as soft as they looked. He found himself wanting to caress it with the back of his hand.

“Thanks again,” Betty said softly, stepping down the stairs. When she stood beside him, he felt like a giant towering over her small frame. “Well, I best get down there before she comes charging up her after me and trust me, she might.” Betty sighed moving around him and he watched as she went down the stairs with such grace and then disappeared around the corner.

After a moment, Jughead forced himself to come back to earth mentally calling himself an idiot for staring like one. “No,” He told himself while he continued up the stairs finally reaching the room. “Not again,” He said closing the bathroom door behind him.

-

“Where do you need me?” Betty asked her mom when she entered the kitchen stopping when she saw a baby in her mother’s hands. “Oh my gosh,” She squealed hurrying over to where her mother was sitting. She smiled at the baby who was now staring at her with wide blue eyes. “Hi there,” She greeted softly then turned to her mother. “Please tell me that you didn’t go and raid the nursery at the church again, Mom.” She grinned teasingly.

“Oh Elizabeth,” Alice chided smacking on her arm lightly. “Quit telling lies about me. I have never done such a thing. Now get started on the potatoes. They are in the pantry over there.” She pointed in the direction of the closed door behind her.

“I know where they are Mom,” Betty said walking over to the door grabbing the sack carrying it over to the free space on the island before walking to the other side to get a few other things. “Hi FP,” She said getting a big pot out for the potatoes.

“Well, it’s about time you said hello,” FP teased. “I would give you a hug but-” He pointed to his arms which were covered in butter. “But if you want a buttery hug, then come here.” He said opening his arms wide.

Betty shook her head. “No, thank you,” She laughed backing away from him and he pouted at her.

“Aww, you don’t want a butter hug?” He asked her. “It is a one time offer, Betty.” He added taking one step closer to her.

“You can hug me later,” Betty told her seriously. “Now step away before I splash you with cold water.” She threatened, holding up the pot that she had just filled with water.

“Like you would do it,” FP taunted her and Betty narrowed her eyes at the older man.

“Do I have to remind you of who I am, Forsythe Pendleton Jones the Second?” Betty tossed back with a smirk. “Because I will be happy to remind you.”

“And I will be happy to remind you, that if you make that mess young lady, you will be cleaning it up,” Alice warned her.

Betty sighed as she lowered the pot. “Saved by my mother, as always,” She said walking back to her spot and she saw Jughead watching from the doorway. “If you haven’t noticed by now, we are crazy here,” She told him sitting down in her chair.

“There you are Jughead,” FP said spotting the boy. “I was beginning to wonder if we needed to send a search party after you. I mean you never know in this house. Alice here may have some secret bat caves or something.”

“FP!”

Betty dropped the peeler as laughter hit her hard which earned a glare from her mother. She covered her mouth as she tried to control herself. “Sorry, your face was priceless Mom,” She said clearing her throat looking for the peeler she dropped. She frowned because she didn’t not see it anywhere.

“Here it is.”

Betty turned to see Jughead standing beside her with the peeler in his hand. “Thanks,” She said taking it from him then walked over to the sink to wash it off.

“You’re welcome,” He said turning to Alice who was playing nicely with Josh. Josh was giggling away at the little things she was doing to him. “Do you need me to take him?” Jughead asked her and she shook her head.

“No, Josh is just fine,” Alice replied shaking her head. “I am enjoying him. Jughead this is Elizabeth, please excuse her for being rude and not introducing herself like she had been taught to do.” She scolded and Betty resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

“Alice, leave the girl alone,” FP said turning around to look at the woman. “Betty, this is my son Jughead,” He told her pointing to the boy beside her. “And the baby that your mother is holding hostage is Josh.”

“It is nice to meet you Jughead,” Betty said and they shared a secret look as Jughead walked further into the room.

“So you are the cookie maker,” Jughead grinned, taking a seat right beside Betty. “They were really good by the way.”

“Yes, I am the cookie maker of the family and thank you. Be careful, you will have to fight that one for them,” Betty said, pointing at FP’s back with the peeler. “There is always a fight for my cookies.”

“I still want my batch, Betty,” FP said, turning around from the turkey once again. “I always get a special batch each year.”

“You won’t be getting any cookies if you don’t get that turkey finished any time soon,” Alice shot at him causing him to turn to her.

“Well, maybe you should put the baby down and help me,” FP suggested. “This thing wasn’t even ready when I got here to prepare it.” Alice came back with another smart comment and soon they were sparring at each other like two toddlers in a sandbox.

Jughead leaned over to Betty. “Are they always crazy like this?” He whispered into her ear causing a quick shiver to run down her spine.

Betty snickered and nodded her head. “I told you earlier and if you think this is bad wait until the football starts,” She whispered back. “I usually hide in my bedroom when that happens.”

“Where can Josh and I hide?” Jughead asked her.

“We can hide down in the basement if you want to,” Betty suggested. “We have a game room down there with a TV, a PlayStation 4 and Netflix. We could watch a movie if you want.”

“Will you be okay if Josh comes down with us?” Jughead asked looking over at his baby boy where he was giggling heartily. He smiled at the sound.

“He was already coming with us,” Betty told causing him to look at her. “I was not about to leave that baby up here when those two start screaming at that TV. It will be better down there for him. Though we’ll have to sneak him away from my mom because she is a baby hogger,” She whispered making Jughead laugh.

“I can tell.”

Several hours and one great meal later, Jughead and Betty found themselves on the couch watching the ongoing debate between their parents about which pie was the best. Alice had pulled her phone out to look up a fact that was about pumpkin pie to prove to FP that she was right about it. They had been arguing over the fact for the last five minutes and it was beginning to annoy the teenagers. He turned to Betty who was watching them in disbelief. She shook her head and turned to him.

“Follow me,” Betty said getting up off the couch. She waited for Jughead to get up because he was holding a sleeping Josh and they turned a corner and Betty opened the door that led to the basement. Halfway down the stairs, she turned on a light that revealed a much larger living space with a couch, two recliners, a very large entertainment center that held a monster size television. On one wall there was a shelf that held what looked to be hundreds of DVDs. It was his dream room so to speak.

“This is nice,” He commented walking over to one of the couches. “Can I lay him down?” Jughead asked her

“Of course.” Betty hurried over to the couch pulling a few boxes of Christmas decorations off the couch then spread out a throw blanket for him. “You can put him here,” She said pointing to the little bed she made for him. She moved out of the way and watched as Jughead gently laid him down on the couch. Josh stirred a little as he stretched out his little arms before rolling over on his stomach where he settled down as if nothing had happened.

“That is better,” Jughead said rubbing his arms as they were starting to go numb. “He gets heavy after a while.”

Betty chuckled. “It must have been all that food he ate. He went to town on the mac and cheese tonight,” She said sitting down in one of the recliners as Jughead sat down on the floor in front of the couch.

“He loves mac and cheese,” Jughead said looking at Josh and smiling softly. “But I think he was trying to store it for the winter or something because he had it all over his face. I think if I let him he would only eat mac and cheese.”

“That is because Mac and cheese is the food of the Gods,” Betty told him. “How old is he?” She asked curiously.

“Josh turned ten-months-old last week,” Jughead answered. “He turns one in February.”

“What day?” Betty asked him.

“The 19th.”

“Darn,” Betty sighed leaning back in the chair. “I was hoping to have a birthday buddy. Mine is on the 13th. Also, I don’t believe that little story you gave me at dinner about him being your brother. There is no way he is your brother.”

Jughead turned to look at her with an eyebrow raised. “How come?” He asked her.

Betty looked at the baby on the couch. “There is no way that you can deny that baby. He looks just like you beauty marks and all, Jug.”

Jughead started playing with a frayed hole in his jeans. “It doesn’t bother you that I have a kid?” He asked her, shyly.

Betty got out of her seat and sat down next to him the floor. She shook her head. “It doesn’t bother me at all, Jughead.” She answered him softly she watched as his shoulders sag. “Look, I know that you don’t know me, but if you ever need to talk I am always willing to listen.”

Jughead looked at her with a small smile. “You mean you want to sit there and listen to all my problems?” He stared at the girl next to her wondering if she was real. She was completely different from the people of Toledo. They were cold and uncaring, but this girl had a warm presence about her and her eyes told him that she was very caring. He loved her eyes and found that he couldn’t get enough of their enchanting color. It reminded him of the time when the new leaves started blooming on the trees after a long cold winter. When he arrived to her house earlier in the day, he was filled with overwhelming dread but over time he found himself getting more and more comfortable and it was mainly because of Betty. When FP wasn’t looking she would sneak him a couple of cookies or would whisper something to him when their parents were too obnoxious at the moment. He liked that she had an innocent face but a mischievous spirit. However, he wasn’t quite ready to bare his soul to her yet. Suddenly FP appeared on the basement stairs.

“Betty, your mom wants you upstairs to help her with the leftovers,” He told Betty. She quickly got off the floor and hurried up the stairs to her mother. He turned back to Jughead. “It’s pretty late. Do you want to head back to the trailer?” He asked him.

“That sounds like a good idea,” Jughead said getting off the floor picking Josh up as he went. “I think he is out for the night anyway.” He placed the boy against his chest and followed his dad up to the main level where Alice was placing containers full of food into plastic bags. Jughead looked around for Betty but didn’t see her.

“I hope you don’t mind leftovers,” FP whispered to him. “She will send half the meal home with us tonight. We will be eating on it for days.” He joked.

“Food is food.”

FP gave him a proud look. “That’s my boy.” He said patting him on the back then walked into the kitchen to help Alice before she dropped the giant dish of mashed potatoes that she was holding on the floor.

-

An hour later, FP and Jughead were sitting at the table in the kitchen of the trailer. They were sharing small talk over a couple of pieces of the pie that Alice had sent along with them. Jughead swallowed his bite as he heard the sound of coughing coming from the room he was staying in. He set down his fork before getting out of his seat and when over to the door peeking in at his bed where Josh was sleeping. He had turned over on his side with his back towards the door. He pushed his way through the doorway and over to the bed. Jughead placed a hand on the tiny boy’s back waiting to see if he started coughing again. After a few minutes of complete silence, he got up and left the room making sure to leave the door open in case if he needed to go back in to check on him again.

“So, I was talking to Alice when you kids disappeared about you looking for a job and she told me that Bijou is looking for someone to work the snack bar in the evenings. Is that something you will be interested in?” FP asked Jughead when he sat back down in his seat picking up his fork.

“I am not picky,” Jughead replied taking a bite of his pie. “A job is a job and I am willing to take anything at this point. I will go tomorrow and put in for it.”

“Alright, if you need any help tell the manager that you are FP’s boy. I know that manager pretty well. Maybe it will give you some pull.”

“Will do,” Jughead nodded, pushing away his now empty plate. If he didn’t love food so much he would never eat another bite again after the day he had. He swore that he was going to need bigger pants as well. He looked up to see his father staring at him and he wondered if there was something on his face. “What?” He asked wanting to the reason behind his dad’s strange’s look.

Fp took a quick swig from his beer then cleared his throat. “So, what do you think about Betty?” He asked him.

Jughead furrowed his eyebrows at the question. “Betty?” He repeated and shrugged his shoulders. “What about her?” He asked.

Fp snickered as he shook his head at Jughead. “Answer the question, boy,” He pressed wanting to know his answer.

Jughead pulled the beanie from his head placing in on the table. “She was a lot of fun. I liked her knowledge of literature and movies. She seems really smart,” He answered and then FP broke down into a small chuckle which made him raise an eyebrow at him. “Why do you want to know?” He asked, sounding suspicious.

“Because you have known her for five minutes and you are already whipped,” FP pointed out setting down his empty beer bottle. Jughead felt his face heat up at his father’s words.

“I am not whipped, Dad,” Jughead denied shaking his head rapidly. He swallowed hard as he thought about what he said.

“Tell that to your face when it was lighting up like the fourth of July every time she spoke tonight,” FP teased with a smirk before turning serious. “Just be careful with her, okay? Betty is like a daughter to me.” He told him.

Jughead rolled his eyes. “I just met her today,” He reminded his dad. “I am not even looking for anything right now.”

FP smiled nodding to Jughead’s response. “The best ones always start out that way,” He said wisely to Jughead before getting out of his seat stopping to place a hand on Jughead’s shoulder. “I think I am going to hit the sack for the night. Lock up the place will you?”

“Sure thing,” Jughead said with a small nod and FP pulled away from walking through the kitchen to his room. When Jughead was alone he let out a small sigh and went to work preparing for tomorrow by washing up Josh’s bottles and quickly researching the position to make sure that it would fit his needs. If he had to he would explain his situation to them and hope for the best. He washed out the last bottle, placing it onto the drying rack before heading to his room looking forward to the warm bed that awaited him.


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait between chapters. I am hoping to fix that by giving this story a little bit more attention. Thank you for being patient.

_ Chapter Three _

Jughead let out a long sigh of frustration, walking from the kitchen into the living room looking for an item that he needed for Josh. He turned to look at Josh, who was standing up in the playpen his head barely reaching the top watch his every move with wide eyes and a wet mouth. The item he was looking for the baby wipes. He was a hundred percent positive that he had brought the box of baby wipes with him. But he couldn’t find the damn box anywhere in the trailer or his car. And he needed them at the exact moment since there was something foul coming from Josh’s diaper. And he could smell it from the other side of the trailer.

He hoped that he had enough for the diaper change and he knew that he would be paying a visit to the store to get some later. But that would have to happen after he had dealt with that diaper because it could no longer wait. Jughead snatched a fresh diaper out of the bag before walking over to the playpen looking down at his son who was grinning at him.

Jughead shook his head at the boy. “You think that is funny, do you?” he asked the baby taking him out of the playpen catching another awful whiff. “Why couldn’t you have saved this one for your grandpa?” he asked, cringing at the smell. He moved to the floor laying Josh down in the diaper changing position. “We have been here for two days, and he has yet to change one of your stink bombs. No, don’t roll over.” And Josh rolled over to his stomach trying to inch away from his father. Josh’s eyes lit up at the new toy in front of him. It was the coffee table, and that was his prize. By the time Jughead had everything ready, Josh was pulling himself up. And yes! Jughead had to have everything ready because he never knew if Josh had a surprise whizz waiting for him. Jughead had lost the count of how many times he had been peed on by Josh, but he was willing to bet that the number would be nearing the triple digits by now.

“Get back here,” he said wrapping an arm around Josh’s little wait pulling him away from the table. Josh let his displeasure known by squealing in protest and kicking his legs hard. “You are okay,” he said, placing the kid on his back and handed him his cell phone to keep him distracted long enough for the change. Josh happily took the phone and stuck the rubber corner into his mouth to chew on. Jughead worked quickly at changing the boy which turned into a bigger challenge because Josh got tired of the phone and being on his back. But in the end, Jughead won the war with Josh dressed warmly from head to toe and ready for their journey out of the house.

“We are going to the store,” Jughead explained pulling up the zipper on Josh’s jacket. “The air in this house is getting a little too stale for my taste and it will nice to get out for a bit. Don’t you think?” he asked reaching for his jacket shrugging it on. He scooped up Josh and the diaper back, then grabbed his keys and went out to the car.

After Josh was snug and secured in his seat, Jughead pulled the small wad of cash counting it hoping that it be enough to get him some gas and wipes until he was able to get a paycheck from his new job. He felt the weight on his shoulders lessen thinking about the new job. Jughead was thankful that he was able to land something so quickly. The manager was also completely understanding of his situation and offered him the job after a brief interview. Another great thing about this job was the manager. It turned out that the manager had been a teen father himself and had been very accommodating of his needs. Pulling out of the thoughts in his head, Jughead got into the car and when he started the engine something caught his eye. The gas needle was sitting on full.

He frowned as he remembered that night of his arrival in Riverdale that his gas meter was on empty. The gas light had even been on. And he damn well knew that he hadn’t been anywhere to get gas either. Jughead looked to the sky begging to the heavens that there was nothing wrong with his car because he didn’t know how the hell he would get it fixed. He would have to take it to an auto place and have it checked out. But that would have to be later as he had another task on his hands to finish. He put the car in reverse and pulled out of the driveway to find a store somewhere in this town. 

Twenty minutes and two wrong turns later, Jughead pulled into a parking space at the Trendy Way. He shook his head because he couldn’t believe that one tiny town as Riverdale could have so many different corners. It didn’t help that he drove past it twice. It was one of the only stores in the town because the parking lot was jammed. Yikes! He grimaced at the number of people going and out those automatic doors. Yes, he had a small touch of social anxiety, but hey, it wasn’t his fault that most of the world’s humanity sucked. He yanked the keys out of the ignition and got out to retrieve Josh out of the back seat and got ready to brave the store.

The inside of the store was even worse than the outside. There were bodies in every direction he looked and the aisles, as small as they were, had at least two families in them. Finally, Jughead found an aisle that was clear of people and shot down it while looking to the baby section. He turned the corner into the section of the cold stuff and spotted a very familiar looking blond girl trying to reach for something on the top shelf, but it was a little too high up for her to get to. Jughead walked up behind her.

“Need some help?”

She turned around at the voice and smiled when she saw that it was Jughead. “If you don’t mind,” Betty nodded, and he grabbed the jar and handed it to her. 

“Thanks,” she smiled and turned her gaze to Josh. “Hey there,” she said patting the boy on his back. Josh shyly hid his face in his father’s neck. Betty and Jughead shared a laugh. She held up the jar. “My mom is trying a new recipe tonight and needed this,” she explained.

“You don’t sound very excited about that,” Jughead noted. Betty shrugged as she walked around him. 

“My mom likes trying new recipes, and this one is kind of weird,” Betty said as they walked along. ‘How have you been settling in?” she asked him.

“It’s been okay,” Jughead replied and looked up at a sign. “Since I helped you with your problem, I was wondering if you would help me with mine?”

“What is it?”

“Can you show me where they keep the baby stuff?” Jughead asked, and Betty nodded.

“It’s this way,” Betty said pointing in the direction picking up the pace of her walking. She led him into the more quieter part of the store and turned down another aisle. “Here you go.” She waved her hand toward the abundance of baby supplies before them.

“Thanks,” Jughead said walking along until he found what he needed. “ I have been looking all over the place for it. It is not very easy to find things here.”

Betty snorted. “I know right! They could have called this place Maze Mart instead. It’s like you are walking into a maze and you never know if you are ever going to get out.”

Jughead picked up a few packs of baby wipes. “This should do,” he said turning back to her. “Thank you.”

“There you are, Honey!”

They turned to see Alice coming up the aisle. “I was looking all over the place for you. We need to get going. I need to get to the office to double check everything before printing tomorrow’s issue.” she said stopping in front of the two. “Hello, Jughead,” she smiled warmly at the teen boy and bent down to talked Josh. “Hi there, cutie.” 

“Hey there, Mrs. Cooper,” Jughead greeted the other woman. “Sorry about that. Betty was showing me the way to the stuff I needed.”

“I see,” Alice nodded placing a hand on Betty’s shoulder. “Would you like to join us for dinner?” she asked him. “It’s a new recipe.”

Jughead glanced at Betty, who softly shook her head at him. “Save yourself,” she mouthed to him.

He quickly turned his gaze back to Alice. “Sorry, I can’t tonight. I have plans with my dad for dinner,” he told her.

Alice gave him a look. “Let me guess, plans to have leftovers or to have food from Pop’s?” she asked him knowingly. “Well, if you change your mind our door is always open,” she told him turning her cart around. “Let’s go, Betty,” she said strolling down the aisle.

Betty sighed and looked to Jughead. “I will see you later,” she smiled reaching over to pat Josh on his back. “Thanks for your help earlier.”

“No problem,” Jughead nodded following her out of the aisle to go pay for his item. “I need to be meeting my dad anyway.”

Betty waved goodbye to him before leaving to find her mom. Jughead turned heading to the front to the checkout. After a five minute wait in line, Jughead was walking out of the store back to his car. He snapped Josh into his seat and Josh was not at all happy with that. He began to fuss, and Jughead could tell that he was ready for a nap. So, he gave Josh his pacifier which he took right away settling down. Josh was half asleep when his cellphone started to ring. He winced as he pulled it out to answer it before it had a chance to wake Josh up. 

“Hello?” he answered in a whisper patting gently on Josh’s stomach.

“Hey there little brother,” the voice of his older sister, JellyBean, floated through the phone. “Did I call at a bad time?” she asked quickly.

“No,” he said slipping out of the back seat. “Josh just went to sleep,” he explained getting into the driver’s seat.

“How is my sweet little nephew?”

“I haven’t killed him yet,” Jughead said leaning his head back in his chair.

“That is not what I meant, Jug,” Jellybean scolded. “You are a great father,” she told him with utter confidence. “Unlike our father.”

Jughead bit his lip at hearing her speak of their dad. He knew that she was not their dad’s biggest fan. “Josh is great,” he answered trying to turn the subject away. “How is school going?”

“It is busy,” his sister sighed into the phone. “Finals are around the corner, so everything is so cramped. I was working in the nurse’s office the other day, and a student came in because they passed out from being so exhausted.”

“Yikes,” he grimaced at the thought. “I hope you are not getting yourself in that situation,” he said.

“Hell no!” Jellybean scoffed. “If the students wouldn’t let themselves get behind, then they wouldn’t be passing out. That is how you pass at Stanford. You must stay ahead. Always.”

“You would know.”

“Also, there is a reason that I am calling,” she begins in a lower voice. It was something she did when she was worried or upset about something.

“What?”

“I am not going to be able to come home for Christmas,” Jellybean replied. “I have been offered an internship at one of the hospitals here. It lasts until about the third week of March.”

“That is great, Sis,” Jughead smiled knowing that this was something Jellybean had been working towards. “I’m proud of you.”

“Thanks, but I did want to come home and see all of you. Especially Josh,” Jelly smiled, and he could hear it through the phone. “I miss my Josh snuggles.”

“Josh misses you too.”

“Aww,” Jelly cooed. “Hey, is mom nearby the phone?”

Jughead’s heart drops into the pit of his stomach at the mention of the woman. “No, she is not,” he tells Jelly.

“That sucks,” Jellybean said. “I have been trying to reach her over the last couple of days, and she is not picking up the phone.”

“I haven’t seen her in a couple of days either. She must be working those long shifts again,” Jughead lied wondering if he should tell Jellybean about the recent events in his life, but doesn’t. He knew that if he told Jellybean, that she would hop on the next plane to give their mother an earful.

“Or she lost her phone again,” Jellybean grumbled sullenly. “That woman would lose her head if it wasn’t attached to her. Well, I need to go, Juggie. The class is about to behind, and the professor is sooo anti-cellphones it is not even funny. He often threatens to throw our phones in the toilets if he catches us.”

“Okay. I will talk to you later,” Jughead said ending the call. He tossed the phone into the passenger seat and started the car. 

Moments later, Jughead pulled into the parking lot of Pop’s. He smiled to himself as old memories of the place began to surge up in his mind. He got out of the car taking the old diner in. The only thing that changed was the time, and Jughead decided that was what he liked about the place. He got the car seat out that held a peacefully sleeping baby covered it with a blanket and headed inside out of the cold November air.

As he took his first step inside the diner, Jughead was greeted by a homey atmosphere. It was full of customers with a steady volume of chatter and clinking of silverware on glass plates. He went over to an empty booth and sat down placing the car seat next to him.

A waitress quickly came over with a warm smile. “Hello dear. What can I get you?” she asked sweetly.

“A cup of coffee please?”

She nodded writing it down. “I will be right back with that,” she told him putting her pad into her apron and skirted off to another table who waved at her. Jughead busied himself by lowering the blanket a bit to check on Josh while he waited. 

“You must be Jughead Jones.”

Jughead looked up to see a dark-skinned man standing next to his booth. The man was wearing a warm, jolly smile. “That is me,” he said to the older man. “And you are Pop Tate.”

“So you do remember me,” Pop chuckled, his grin widening. “I was afraid you wouldn’t. Stand up here. Let me get a good look at you,” he said. Jughead laughed as he got out of his seat. Pop Tate shook his head. “The last time I saw you, you were a small boy, and now you tower over me.”

The waitress appeared with a cup and poured him some fresh coffee. “Sorry about that. I had to wait for it to finish brewing,” she explained apologetically.

“That’s okay,” Jughead said sitting down pulling the cup to him. “The fresher, the better.”

Pop laughed heartily. “You are a smart lad too. Dottie,” he turned to the woman. “Make sure whatever he orders is on the house.”

The offer floored jughead. “You don’t have to that,” he said to Pop, but Pop wouldn’t have it.

“That is old nonsense,” Pop said to Jughead. “Take it as a welcome home present from me. It is really good to see you back here. Your old man kept saying that you were supposed to come in here today. He has been talking about nonstop since he got here this morning. Your dad is one of my hardest working people.”

Dottie cleared her throat beside him. “Excuse me?” she said to her boss. “What about me?” she teased in a kind manner.

“Oh my good old Dottie,” Pop said laying a hand on her shoulder. “You are my best waitress you know that and FP is my best cook. There is no jealousy needed.”

“There is no jealousy here,” Dottie said pointing her pen at him. “I am just making sure you don’t forget the facts, old man.”

Pop raised an eyebrow at her. “Did you just call me old?” he asked her. “If I remember correctly, that you are older than me,” he pointed out. 

“Only by a year,” Dottie replied swatting him on the arm. 

“Now you are trying to wound me,” Pop pouted. “If you keep this up, there will be no one left to keep this place open.”

“Like that would be a crime.”

Jughead laughed as he watched the two go back and forth with their banter. Josh sneezed catching Jughead’s attention as well as Pop’s and Dottie’s.

“What do we have here?” Pop walked around to the other side of the booth bending down to look inside the car seat. “Is this baby yours?” Pop asked curiously. Usually, Jughead would be annoyed by the question, but he could tell that Pop meant no harm.

“He is,” Jughead nodded lowering the blanket so that they could see him a little better.

“He is adorable,” Dottie smiled and sighed when she heard her name being called from across the diner. “I will be back for your order,” she told him and went to see to the people who needed her.

“Dottie is right. He is handsome, but don’t tell her I said that,” he whispered to Jughead. “I will never hear the end of it.” Pop looked up to the front when the bell rang, and he nodded to the newcomers. “I am afraid that I must tend to my other customers. I will tell FP that you are here,” he offered Jughead. “Welcome back.” He repeated, walking away from the table.

A few minutes later, FP came out from the back and sat down in the booth across from Jughead. “I was wondering when you were coming in,” he said with a tired sigh.

“I had to make a pit stop,” Jughead told him taking a sip of his coffee. “Or I would have been here sooner.”

“You drink coffee now?” Fp questioned eyeing the cup as Jughead set it down.

“Can’t live without it,” Jughead sighed looking around the diner. “Is it always busy like this?” he wondered.

“It’s only like this because it’s Sunday and lunchtime,” Fp explained. “It depends on the time of day. Have you ordered yet?”

“No. I don’t know what I want,” Jughead told him just as Dottie returned to the table with her notepad and refilled Jughead’s cup of coffee.

“Have you decided yet?”

“Dottie, we will have two cheeseburgers with a double side of onion rings, and two chocolate shakes,” FP told her. Dottie nodded and went to turn in the new order. “Just to warn ya, these cheeseburgers are like crack. You are hooked with one bite. It used to be your favorite when you were little.” 

“I do love cheeseburgers,” Jughead laughed as he fell silent as his thoughts turned to his latest car trouble.

“What’s on your mind?”

Jughead shrugged his shoulders. “Just thinking about everything,” he breathed lowering his head into his hand. “Do you know where I can go and have my car looked at?”

“There is a garage just around the corner from here,” Fp answered pointing to his left. “Just beyond the tracks a ways. Why? What is going on with your car?”

“My fuel gauge isn’t working right. It’s gone out on me before,” Jughead explained. “It says it is on full when I know it is empty, but I haven’t been anywhere to get gas.”

“I have,” Fp said as Dottie returned to their table with two plates of piping hot food. The smell of the burger made Jughead’s mouth water.

“You boys enjoy these and I will bring you your shakes,” Dottie smiled and disappeared once again.

“Mmmm,” Jughead hummed taking a bite out of an onion ring. “They don’t have anything like this back home,” he said and then the words Fp had just spoken sank into his brain. ‘Wait, you have? When?

“The other day while you two were sleeping,” Fp replied with a shrug. “It also has four brand new tires on it as well. I noticed when I brought your stuff in that your old tires were looking a little bald, and getting there, I needed gas.”

Jughead swallowed his food roughly. “You didn’t have to do that,” he told him as he didn’t know how to process this new information.

“Sure, I did. I couldn’t have my grandson driving around in a car that isn’t safe. One of those tires were ready to blow out,” Fp said, and Pop Tate came up to the table with their shakes.

“Two chocolate shakes. One for the kid and one for the grandpa.”

“Grandpa?” Fp huffed. “I reckon you saw the kid over there?” he asked Pop.

“Sure did,” Pop nodded. “I will see you guys later,” he said turning around to walk back to the front. “Grandpa,” he chuckled as he went. The bell rang again, and Pop’s voice floated through the place.

Fp looked to Jughead. “Didn’t your mom ever do stuff like that for you?” he asked.

Jughead had to put his burger down and looked to his dad. “If you didn’t get it yourself, you didn’t get it,” he answered sourly. “If you didn’t need it, you didn’t get it,” he finished. Jughead looked down at his food, and for the first time in a long time, he didn’t feel like eating.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the short chapter, but I felt like this was enough excitement for one chapter. Poor Jughead... I promise things will get easier...Maybe...


	4. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is more a betty centric chapter, but it is also Jughead's first day at Riverdale high. He meets some new friendly faces and some familiar ones too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to thank for all the wonderfully kind words and support. They are like the caramel drizzle on a white chocolate mocha frapp. I love those things and I love you.

_ Chapter Four _

_ Dear Diary, _

_ It was nice having a week off. A week away from the looks that people send my way. It has been months since my father went away and it only feels like yesterday. You try and move on, but some people will not let you. Even though you want to put it behind you. It still follows you. Everywhere. Even my friends are different. There is always an iciness in their voice whenever they speak to me, or maybe I imagine it. Why do I feel responsible? Is it my fault? How can I get out from underneath from this shadow? The shadow sometimes is so heavy that I feel like I am drowning. I don’t know how long I can keep going like this. I know I am alive, but just only alive. I am not living. I don’t enjoy anything anymore because all I feel are the eyes. Eyes that feel like claws carving down my back. I just want it to stop. Will it stop? Or do I have to wait until I leave this town forever? Dr. Glassy says I need to find an outlet, but no outlet wants me. Or do I not want it? I need a change from being just my father’s daughter. Is it possible I can be my own person once again? _

  
  


Betty pressed the tip of her pencil to the paper to write some more, and a knock sounded on her door. She looked up from her journal to see her mother sticking her head in the door.

“Shouldn’t you be heading out for school?” Alice asked her walking into the room with a basket of clothes. “If you don’t leave now, you are going to be late, and you haven’t eaten yet,” she told her while putting clothes into her closet.

Betty glanced at her clock. Her mother was right. She would be late if she didn’t get going. She closed her journal placing it into her drawer. She moved off the bed going over to her vanity table for her book bag slinging it on to her shoulder. “I will see you tonight, Mom,” she said moving to the door.

“Make sure you grab a banana or something on your way out,” Alice instructed. “Have a good day. I will try not to work too late tonight.”

“Okay,” Betty said before leaving the room going downstairs. She went into the kitchen grabbing an apple and walked out the door to begin the short walk to school. Betty was halfway there when she heard her name being called from behind. She turned around to see her next door neighbor -slash- red-headed best friend jogging his way towards her.

“Hey, Archie,” she smiled when he stopped next to her slightly out a breath. “You know for being the quarterback you should be in better shape,” she teased him.

“You sound like my dad,” he grumbled, “Didn’t you hear me calling you back there?” he asked her pointing behind him with his thumb. 

“You were calling me?” Betty returned sounding confused.

“I guess that answers my question,” Archie chuckled tiredly.

“Rough night?”

“Practice was brutal,” Archie told her. “Coach has been working us like dogs lately. I don’t know what his problem is. We have the best team in the county.”

“He just wants to be the best that you can be,” Betty said patting him on the arm. “Are you hungover?” she asked him slowly realizing his gait was slightly off.

“A little bit,” Archie said rubbing his eyes. “There was a party at Cheryl’s, and I think I drank too much. It was a lot of fun. Why didn’t you come to it?”

“Because I didn’t know about it,” Betty replied with a small smile. “I don’t get invited to parties anymore, remember. I am not everyone’s favorite person.”

“Well to hell with them,” Archie muttered wrapping his arm around her shoulders. “You still are one of my favorite people, even if we aren’t together anymore.”

“That is because you and I have been best friends since the sandbox days,” she reminded him. “And I am sure that Veronica will not like seeing her boyfriend’s arm around another girl.”

Archie gave her a strange look. “Veronica won’t mind Betty,” he said refusing to move his arm. “She knows how close we are.”

“She does,” Betty agreed. “But sometimes I think it bothers her,” she tried to explain to him. Hell, she knew that it bothered her. Veronica had told her before, and she wasn’t in the position to make one of the only people who spoke to her at the moment pissed off.

“Fine,” Archie grumbled pulling his arm away. “Don’t forget about the choir meeting after school today,” he told her. “Any ideas for the Christmas show?” he questioned.

“Do I have to go?” Betty sighed, thinking and dreading the activity already. “And no I don’t yet. The air doesn’t have a Christmas kind of feel yet.”

Archie narrowed his eyes at her. “You love the choir club,” he pointed out to her. “Don’t say that you don’t,” he grinned at her.

“You are right,” she nodded. “That I do. Besides, Veronica would never let me skip a meeting. She will track me down and drag me into the classroom. Either her or Kevin.”

“Veronica will not take no for an answer,” Archie said while they climbed the steps into the school. “Speaking of Veronica, I better go find her before class starts.”

“See you later,” Betty said as he walked away disappearing into the sea of students. She sighed heading towards her locker to get what she needed for her first class.

_ “Good Morning Students, Betty Cooper, please come to the principal's office.” _

Betty froze on the spot at her name echoing throughout the hall. Several eyes turned her way causing her gulp under their stares. Desperate to escape their gazes, she turned around to go to see what Principal Weatherbee wanted from her today. She kept her eyes to the ground until she stepped inside of the office away from the other students.

Betty walked over to his door knocking on it gently to get his attention. “You wanted to see me, Mr. Weatherbee?” she said.

“Yes, Miss Cooper,” he said turning around in his big soft leather bound chair. “We have a new student joining us today, and I was hoping that you would be kind enough to show him around for the week,” he explained.

Betty nodded. “Of course I will do it,” she said smiling pushing extra excitement into it.

“Fabulous,” he said getting out off his chair. “Follow me,” he requested strolling through the door. She followed him to the front office where she saw Jughead getting out a chair that was placed by the door. She blinked in surprise that she didn’t see him there then again she wasn’t exactly looking either.

Weatherbee veered around to look at her. “Mr. Jones, this is Betty Cooper,” he quipped. “She is one of our peer mentors and will be showing you around the school today and the rest of the week. If I am so bold to brag, you are rather lucky. She is one of our brightest students here at Riverdale High. I also paired you with her because she is in most of your classes so that you will have an easier time finding them.”

“Awesome,” Jughead said looking to Betty sending her a small, reserved smile. Betty gulped feeling butterflies erupting in her stomach.

“I will leave you guys to it. Miss. Cooper, take care of him today.”

“Yes, Sir.”

Weatherbee went back into his office leaving the two teenagers alone. Jughead let out a relieved breath.

“At least he paired me with someone who is cool and not some idiot,” he said to her jokingly. Betty shook her head, and her eyes descended to the book bag in his hand.

“How about we go find your locker so you can put your stuff away?” she recommended walking over to the door.

“I like the sound of that,” he said following her out into the hallway. She waited for him until he was alongside her before walking through the hall. “My locker number is 59,” he recited it off of the slip the older lady gave to him earlier.

“Okay, we are heading in the right direction,” Betty assured him.

“So you are one of the brightest students in the school huh?” Jughead asked her. “Why does that not surprise me and why did you look like you wanted to roll your eyes when he said that?”

Betty blinked in surprise. “How did you know?” she gaped at him.

“Please, I could see the smoke coming out your ear from where I was standing,” he pointed out as the arrived at a long row of lockers. 

“Here we are,” Betty said pointing to the locker as she thought about her answer. “I don’t really know to be honest,” she replied truthfully watching him put the number in his lock. “I guess it gets old after a while. Do you mind if I run to my locker real quick? It is just a few down from here,” she nodded in the direction.

“I should be fine on my own for a few moments,” Jughead told her. Betty smiled thankfully and hurried to her locker. By the time she was closing the door, Jughead was leaning against the lockers waiting for her to finish.

“So what is Riverdale High like?” Jughead wanted to know. “Should I be worried at all? Are they all like sharks waiting to attack a seal or like a giant who looks scary but gentle on the inside?”

“It is just your typical American high school,” she huffed looking around the hall. “I mean you have the groups that you would find. The jocks, the cheerleaders, and everything in between.”

“Which one are you?”

Betty stopped to think where she sat in the equation of Riverdale High. “I guess I would be considered a floater,” she said.

Jughead raised his eyebrow at this. He had never heard that term before but found it fitting with her. But he wanted to hear more. “What is a floater?” he pressed.

Betty pursed her lips as they walked through the halls. “Someone who doesn’t know where they fit in?” she guessed. 

“So you're telling me that I am not currently walking around with the most popular girl at this school?” he quirked an eyebrow at her. 

Betty laughed shaking her head. “Me? No. I have my friends, but I just stick with them. Popularity never really struck any interest in me,” she confessed. Betty notices him pulling his phone out his pocket out the corner of her eye.

“Is it your first time?” she asked him seeing the baby on his screen. “Being away from him?”

“No,” Jughead answered softly. “I went back to school after he was born to try and finish. I was checking to make sure my dad doesn’t need me or anything.”

Betty giggled. “You miss him,” she teased, and his head fell forward dramatically.

“Damn! You caught me,” he sighed causing them both to laugh. “I do. Josh is easy to miss. Hey, can we keep Josh between you and me?” he asked her. “For a little while?”

“Sure.”

Jughead looked away from her. “It not what you think,” he began his eyes falling to the floor. “I am not ashamed of him. It’s just until everything here settles,” he explained sticking his hand in his pockets. He let out a stressful sigh. “There stares sometimes are… a lot.”

“Hey,” She weighed in pausing to place a hand on his shoulder. “I don’t think that of you, Jug,” she told him sincerely. “I get it. People can be assholes. Your secret is safe with me,” Betty promised him.

“Thanks, Betty,” he said feeling a weight lifting off of his chest. Betty nodded, and they continued through the hallway. They had most of their classes together except a few. Betty yawned tiredly as she walked into the student lounge to meet her friends. She was ready for a nice long nap. Her day was not going the way she wanted it too. There had been three popped quizzes, and she had gotten a high B on one of her tests. Yes, it was a good grade, but she liked getting A’s, and no she did not consider herself a know it all. She just loved getting A’s. It made her feel good. Betty sank onto one of the couches pulling out the subject to make flash cards while she waited.

She was already on her fifth one when she heard the sound of heels. She looked up from her book to see Veronica and Archie coming into the room. They smiled at her while they sat down across from her.

“B,” Veronica said sternly as she crossed her legs holding out a cup of coffee for her. “You are going to close that book and relax with us,” she ordered. “I saw that look on your face in history, and I will not have it. Your grades are awesome, and you don’t need to worry. Okay?” she smiled at her sweetly.

Betty reached to take the cup from her. “Okay,” she said forcing a smile to the surface. It was not okay. It was something she wanted to master. She took her education very seriously. It was her ticket out of here.

A few seconds later, the rest of the gang piles into the lounge taking up any free available seat. Betty’s eyes moved to the door to see Ethel step through it with Jughead at her side talking about something. His eyes met hers, and he sent her a smile. And those damn butterflies in her stomach was back. “Hey everyone,” Ethel said stopping next to Archie. “This is Jughead,” she informed them. “He just moved here from Ohio.”

“Wait a second,” Archie said getting up from his chair looking to him. “Jughead? As in the Jughead Jones that used to come to my house when our dads would grill out together? We would play video games while they would burn our food. Or at least until you moved away.”

“Yep, Archie,” Jughead nodded at him. “That was me,” he replied. “I used to kick your ass at Mario Brothers,” he told him.

“As if. The controller would never work,” Archie said looking to the others. “Well, welcome back. We need to catch up sometime?” he suggested holding out his hand.

“Thanks and I look forward to it,” Jughead told him accepting the handshake. “Hey,” he said waving awkwardly at everyone who was looking at him.

A chorus of heys hit the air and Ethel went around introducing him to each one of them. Kevin, to her right, leaned closer to her. “Is this the guy that came over to your house last week?” he whispered to her.

“Yeah,” she whispered back.

“You didn’t tell me he was hot is a Holden Caulfield kind of way,” he accused lightly at her. “How can you not tell me?”

“I didn’t think it was something that I had to report,” she retorted to him quietly. 

Kevin’s jaw dropped at this. “Oh my God,” he muttered with a smirk.

Betty locked eyes with him. “What?” she wanted to know. There was something in the way he was looking at her that was filling her with dread.

Kevin bent his head a little closer to her. “You totally think he is hot,” he replied. Kevin looked over to the other and saw Jughead sneak a glance their way, and it was not towards him. It was at the blond beside him. “You know I totally dig it,” he said. And there it is. Kevin’s matchmaking senses had been awakened. 

Betty’s eyes widened, and she shook her head. “No, I don’t,” she said very pointedly at him. “No,” she repeated once more.

“Oh yes you do,” Kevin snickered. “You didn’t deny it when I said,” he pointed out his, smiling with glee busting at the seams. Betty let out an annoyed sigh and shook her head. “So that you know, I am rooting for you.”

“Stop,” she told him pushing his arm off her. “Nothing is going to happen between us,” she added with a glare. “Now behave,” she ordered him.

“If you say so and no promises because this smells like an epic romance,” he added chuckling as she gently punched him the arm. “Bully,” he flung at her.

“Asshole,” she hurled back rolling her eyes.

“You love me.”

“I don’t know about that at the moment,” Betty said laughing at him with Kevin’s face fell into a pout just as Ethel’s string of introductions turned in their directions.

“Over there is our wonderful friend Kevin,” she informed him. “And Betty,” she said with a forced smile. “There are more to the group, but some of them aren’t here at the moment,” she finished taking a seat next to Veronica, perching on the arm of the chair.

Betty fought back a shiver from the iciness sent her way from Ethel. This was the iciness that she was talking about in her diary earlier that morning.

“Hey there, Jughead,” Kevin piped up suddenly. Oh, God. Here he goes, she thought. “Betty was just telling me all about you,” he added. Damnit, Kevin...You ass! Jughead smiled as he looked at her.

“I hope it was all good,” Jughead said. Kevin looked at her with another smile that made her want to punch him.

“Oh it was,” he grinned at her.

Betty shook her head at him before turning to Jughead. “Just ignore him. Kevin is just his obnoxious self,” she explained to him. “He just can’t help it sometimes.” 

“So B.”

Betty shifted to her best at the sound of her voice. “Hmm?” she asked the girl. “What’s up?”

“It is karaoke night at the La Bonne Nuit,” She answered laying her head on Archie’s shoulder. “Do you wanna come tonight?”

“I don’t know,” Betty sighed. “I have to make sure that mom doesn’t need help at the office,” she told her.

“You need to get out of that house,” Veronica said. “It is not good for you to stare at the four walls of your every night. Will you try to come? We need a girl’s night.”

“I am so in on that,” Kevin said sounding excited at the mention of a girl’s night. “We can watch the best movies.”

“That sounds fun,” Veronica nodded. “We have to plan it soon before Christmas. My family and I are going into the city for the holidays.”

“What is the La Bonne Nuit?” Jughead asked. 

“It the speakeasy underneath Pop’s Diner,” Ethel explained. “Ronnie, here, owns it.”

“That I do,” Veronica said and turned back to Betty. “Think about it?” she mouthed to her.

“I will try,” Betty mouthed back. “I will text you to let you know if I am coming,” she suggested.

“I will take it,” Veronica smiled. “Because that is not yes, but so not a no.”

The bell rang signaling the end of their free period. Everyone got up quickly grabbing up their things and throwing their trash away. Everyone weeded their way out of the lounge except Kevin, Jughead, Ethel and Betty. Betty followed Kevin over to where Ethel and Jughead were standing.

“Want to walk with me to health class?” Kevin asked Ethel who nodded.

“Sure, Kev, Want to walk with us, Jughead head?” Ethel asked, smiling at Jughead. 

“Actually I have Chemistry with Betty,” Jughead told her, missing the way Ethel’s smile faltered a bit. “So, I will just walk with her.” 

“You sure do,” Kevin muttered in Betty’s ear making her elbow him in the side. “C’mon Ethel. We don’t want to be late. I do not want to be scraping gum off of desk again,” he said shuddering at the thought.

“It’s not my fault that you took so long in the men’s room,” Ethel sullenly, walking out of the lounge.

“I have to make sure I look good 100 percent Ethel,” Kevin called, following after her. “It is not an easy job, you know.”

Betty smiled at Jughead. “Sorry about them. I promise that they act normal,” she laughed shaking her head. “Well, sometimes. I don’t know about Kevin though. He is pretty much in whacky mode until he goes to bed.”

Jughead snickered. “They all seemed...okay,” he said wincing. “A little overwhelming for my taste,” he admitted. 

“They can be that too,” Betty nodded walking into the hall. “The chemistry lab is upstairs. Just with Ms. Lawson make sure you take great notes. She is long-winded, so I hope you don’t mind your ears bleeding at the end of the class.”

“I like teachers like that,” Jughead said. “When they are detailed about a certain subject. They tend to explain it better by keeping it interesting instead of the same old boring things. Besides, this class also has a bonus point.”

“Which is?” 

“I have you to keep me company,” Jughead said surprising her with his answer. Her feet froze as he began the climb up the stairs. He stopped to look at her. “Are you coming?” His eyes were stunningly blue.

Betty shook herself out of the daze. “Yeah,” she said softly hopping up the stairs. When she got to the top, she was out of breath, but she didn’t know if it was from the stairs or him. She honestly hoped that it wasn't from him because this was the last thing she needed. Getting a crush on someone that she just met only days ago and a crush that could make her life even more complicated than it already was. No, she just needed to watch herself. Yeah, that’s it. Everything was going to be okay. But then again, him holding the door open to the classroom, that had the sign Chemistry lab above it, didn’t help any matters either just as the late bell rang above their ears.

  
  


The class flew by, and soon they were walking out the door with the end of the day looming over them. Betty looked at Jughead as they made their way down the stairs to their lockers.

“So what did you think?” She asked him.

Jughead rubbed his ears. “You were not kidding. She really is long-winded. I think she went off the road like three times and never went back on it,” he sighed shaking his head. “No blood yet though,” he said waving his fingers at her stopping at his locker. 

“Well that is good,” Betty agreed. “That is the only class that I wish I could sleep through. Her voice is soooo nasally.”

“I had a teacher back in Ohio that can battle her,” Jughead said grinning. “I wonder who would win the most points in a poll if we were to put them online.”

“I can’t imagine anyone like her, so my money is on Lawson,” She said thinking about that. “And poor you.”

Jughead finished in his locker and closed the door. “It’s pretty cold outside, do you want a ride back to your house?” he asked her,

Betty had to bite back her surprise at his question. “I can’t, I’m afraid,” she said apologetically. “I have a choir meeting in a few minutes,” she explained.

“This school has a choir?” 

“Yeah,” she nodded. “We don’t compete or anything. Just sing at town events or where ever they need us on that day.”

Jughead nodded. “That sounds kind of cool. Do you sing, Betty?” he asked.

Betty snorted at the question. “I sing sometimes, but I am the one that usually plans all the events. Get everything set up. Plan the program.”

“So you are the one that makes everyone looks good?”

Betty raised an eyebrow. “I guess so. Kevin is the director and Veronica’s mom is over the club. It just all good fun.” She looked at her watch. “It is almost time,” she said, not looking forward to the hour-long meeting.

“Well, I am going to head off. There are things I need to take care,” Jughead said to her with a small grin.

“Of course,” she responded.

“Will I see you tomorrow?”

“Considering that you have about four classes with me and the fact that I can’t go anywhere else for school,” she said with a bit a snark. “I say your chances are pretty high, Jughead Jones.”

Jughead laughed at her. “Touche, Cooper, touche,” he said approvingly, he wanted to go, but for some reason, his legs didn’t want to work. It was like his brain had rewired itself somehow.

“Now get out of here,” Betty demanded looking down at her watch. “And I am going to go and get this over with.”

“Yes, ma’am. Are you always this bossy?” He threw at her before turning around getting lost in the crowd. Betty’s head fell forward as she thought about the meeting and turned around to see Kevin standing there with a big grin on his face.

“Shut up,” She grumbled, going around him. She did not need any more ribbing from him. She covered her face with her hands.

“Vibes Betty! Vibes.”

“I said shut up, Kevin,” she repeated marching away from him. She swore that she could hear his chuckles all the way to the room where the meeting took place. The room was already filled with the other members, and she was desperate to get away from Kevin’s pokes and prodding, so she hurried over to the empty chair. Archie and Veronica greeted her with a small hey.

“Hey everyone,” Kevin greeted, his tone turning from playful to all business. Betty was glad that his attention had left her at last. “We have a lot of things to discuss today. Mrs. Lodge needs the plans for the Christmas Show next week Betty.”

Betty nodded. “I am aware, Kevin,” she told him. “Everything is under control.”

“Good,” Kevin said crossing someone off on a list that he had banished out of nowhere. “So, Mrs. Lodge and I have been talking, and we decided to do something fun for the show. She also wants me to wait until she gets back from her business trip, so the announcement will be coming in two days.”

Betty turned around when she felt someone tap her on her shoulder. She was startled to see it was Ethel. “Yes?” she asked her.

“Hey, did you see where Jughead went?” she asked. “I looked around for him to invite him but couldn’t find him."

“He went home for the day, Ethel,” Betty said turning around to face the front. “I think he said that he had something to do after school,” she lied to her.

“Did you tell him about the choir club?” Ethel questioned curiously.

“The subject didn’t come up, to be honest.”

Ethel rolled her eyes. “Some peer mentor you are. You were supposed to show him his way around here and introduce him to stuff. Did you even ask him if he wanted to join?” she asked rather harshly.

  
  


“No.”

“Rude,” Ethel jeered at her. “You know we are always looking for new students to join. And you let him walk out the door?”

“Rude?” Betty scowled at her. “What is rude is pressuring him to join something on his first day when everything is so overwhelming,” she said to the girl. “I didn’t think of asking him to the group because I was busy trying to help him learn his way around the place.”

“You are also supposed to include him with you for the entire first week,” Ethel reminded her. 

“I know this, Ethel,” she sighed, fed up with the subject. “He also said that he was busy, Ethel,” she repeated.

“Doing what? Did you even try to talk to him? Or even attempt to make him feel welcomed or did you show him everything and brushed him off when you were done?”

Betty’s head fell back letting out a frustrated sigh. “I don’t know. I didn’t ask because whatever he was going is not my business to follow. I also don't have to explain myself to you either. Now can we drop this subject or are we going to waste our time yapping about this?”

Kevin shook his head at his group. “Not even five minutes in and there is already drama,” he muttered to himself. “Enough of this now let's get on with the meeting. Cheryl and Josie, you are up with your music topic,” he directed to them hoping to balance out the tension in the room.

An hour later, Betty walked through the front door of her beautifully quiet home. The quietness was like a welcome song to her ears and not the ones she spent an hour listening too. She placed her jacket on the rack and went into the kitchen to get something to drink.

With a glass of orange juice in her hand, Betty grabbed her bag and headed upstairs to do her homework. She grabbed the subject that she had been working on during their free period picking up where she left off. She opened her laptop to find some calming white noise on youtube to listen to while she studied.

While making a flash card, three to four notifications sounded from the speakers. Frowning at the noise, she went to check it out. They were messages. She rolled her eyes as she knew what they were going to be even as she clicked them opened — yep...the same ones.

_ 1:37 p.m _

_ So damn selfish _

_ 3:45 p.m. _

_ Killer _

_ 4:00 pm _

_ You suck! _

They were all eye roll worthy and not even worth the inches of her attention until she got to the very last one. One that made her freeze.

_ 4:15 _

_ You are just like  _ _ him _ _. _

Her eyes zeroed on the last word. Him. She closed her eyes as she slammed the lip shut not wanting to look at it anymore. Betty shoved the laptop away from her and got out of her chair to collapse on her bed. She shook her head as the ceiling frowned down with a pity that pressed down like a heavyweight.

Betty let out a groan when she heard the ringtone of her cellphone. She forced herself off the bed to get it out of her bag planning to ignore it, but when she saw it was Archie, she picked up.

“Yeah?” she sighed tiredly into the phone. That nap she wanted to take sounded really good at the moment. 

“Are you okay?” he asked her with a concerned note in his voice. “And do not lie to me by saying you are fine. I will know when you do,” he told her.

“How would you know if I was lying to you?”

“Well for one, I can see your face and two I can always tell when you are lying Betty,” he answered. She looked up to see him standing at his window watching her. 

“Archie, how many times have I told you not to window stalk me,” She said to him through the phone. “It tends to be a little creepy you know?”

“I am not stalking you, you dweeb,” Archie snorted. “I was worried about you after that little showdown between you and Ethel and wanted to make sure that you were okay.”

Betty closed her eyes fighting back the eye roll. “I am fine,” she said looking at him through the glass. “I promise that I am okay.”

“You know Ethel is just dealing with a lot of stress,” Archie said carefully. Betty’s eyes opened wondering is Archie was serious with his words. And by the looks of it. He was. “With Midge.”

“What happened to Midge was not my fault,” Betty snapped and took a deep breath. “Sorry, look I know that she is stressed about what happened. So am I, but I don’t go around treating people like shit for other people’s actions, Archie. But I am not sorry for not wanting to deal with people’s bullshit any longer.”

“Betty…”

“All I did was answer her questions. There was no malice or anything else. Just answers,” she ranted to him. She felt tears prickle at her eyes, and she hated the way her voice cracked.

“I know it is not easy for you either,” Archie sighed. “Do you want me to come over to talk?”

“No,” Betty told him shaking her head at him. “I have a lot of homework that I need to get done, and my mom needs me at the register to help her later. So, apologize to Veronica for me?” she asked him, her voice breaking even more. She ended the call and pulled down her blind to hide away from the pity in his eyes. The pity that she hated. The pity that she didn’t need or deserve. She walked over to her bed covering her face in her hands letting a few tears shed. The cell phone dinged telling her she got a text message. She wiped away her tears and turned the phone over to read the message expecting it to be Archie. But to her surprise, it was a number that she didn’t recognize. She had half a mind to delete it as it was probably some asshole from school who had gotten her number. But she opened it anyway reading it.

  
  


_ I just wanted to say thank you for _

_ showing me around today. _

_ 5:01 pm _

Another message followed as she finished the first one.

_ This is Jughead by the way. _

_ 5:03 pm _

And another.

_ I hope don’t mind that I stole _

_ your number from my dad’s phone.  _

_ 5:03 pm _

  
  


_ No. I don’t mind  _

_ at all. _

_ 5:04 pm _

_ Whew! Now I don’t have to worry _

_ about sounding like some stalker _

_ Josh is asleep, and I am bored _

_ 5:05 pm _

Betty laughed, her recent trouble forgotten, reading his messages over and over. Her eyes landed on her reply. She was surprised at herself. But it was true, what she said. She didn’t mind.

  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can I just say that I love Kevin? I think Betty needs someone in her corner and what happened to Midge??? Does anyone feel the tension?


	5. Chapter Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another day at Riverdal High and Jughead and Betty get closer.

_ Chapter Five _

Jughead opened his eyes when he felt a weigh climb onto his chest, followed by a hand on his face and a massive glob of drool to the chin. He sighed when he saw Josh chewing on his finger. He wrapped his hands around Josh’s little body as he pulled himself upright setting the boy on to his lap.

“Those teeth are rough, aren’t they?” he asked him. Josh whimpered as he shoved finger further into his mouth. “I know buddy. I know,” he said rubbing Josh’s back. And boy, did he know. Josh had kept him away most of the night having a hard time settling down. He would go to sleep only to wake up moments later, crying his lungs out until he wore himself out into a deep sleep. Jughead couldn’t tell if it was from the new place or his teeth, but he had an inkling that it was probably both. The alarm on Jughead’s phone sounded telling him that he needed to get up to get Josh fed before he left for school.

He wiped the sleep out of his eye then got out of the bed to start the day. He got Josh dressed in a new outfit first, then got ready himself. After he placed his beanie on his head, Jughead picked Josh up off the bed and walked out to the kitchen where his nose was hit with the smell of bacon.

“Oh good, you’re up,” FP said in front of the stove. “Does he like pancakes?” he asked over his shoulder.

“I have never given him pancakes yet, but we can try it. It might be soft enough for him to chew,” Jughead answered sliding Josh into his high chair. Fp carried a plate over setting it down in front of him.

“Don’t believe anything Alice Cooper says. I know how to cook,” Fp told him walking back to the stove.

He ate quickly as the time to leave was bearing down on him. It turned out that Josh loved the small pancake his grandpa made for him and ended up with syrup everywhere on him. Jughead tried to wipe as much of it off as he could before he got up to get his stuff.

“There is some pain reliever stuff in the bag if he gets fussy,” Jughead told him.

“Gotcha,” Fp nodded. “Have you looked into any of the clubs like I told you?”

“Not yet,” Jughead said. “It was a little crazy yesterday. I am like this shiny new toy that came into the toy box. Everyone is coming to marvel at me. It’s weird,” he shuddered thinking about being on display like a fresh cut ribeye.

“Alright. Just as long as your looking,” his dad said pulling Josh out of the highchair. “Let’s get you cleaned up, Kiddo.”

“I can do it, Dad,” Jughead said walking back into the kitchen. “Before I leave for school.”

“I got it Jughead you just go on and get to school,” Fp assured him earnestly. 

“I honestly don’t mind.”

“I will see you after school. Now go and have a good day,” Fp said carrying a giggling Josh through the trailer to the back. Jughead shook his head checking to make sure he had everything he needed and stepped over to the door pulling it open. “Bye,” he called before stepping out on the porch. He shivered as the frosty morning air hit him as he walked to the car.

By the time he got to school, Jughead was regretting his stop to Pops asking him to leave the car for when he met his dad to get Josh. The hallways were in full swing this morning with students walking in every direction, and he swore that they were even louder than yesterday. Jughead rounded the corner heading to his locker. He was elbow deep inside it when he felt someone tap him on his shoulder. He turned around to see Ethel.

“Hey,” he greeted unsure of what she wanted it. “What’s up?” he asked her pulling his Geometry book out.

“Nothing,” she answered, her face lighting up. “I was wondering if you wanted to walk to class together?”

“Alright,” Jughead nodded looking down the hallway seeing Betty, who was talking to Veronica. ‘Let’s go grab Betty up, and we can all go together?” He suggested closing his locker and missing the fall of Ethel’s shoulder. Not waiting for an answer, Jughead turned down the hallway towards Betty picking up the tail end of hers and Veronica’s conversation.

“V.”

“You know what? I am tired of this. I miss you Betty, and I want my friend back. If you find her any time soon give me a call,” Veronica snapped storming off with sharp clicks of her heels. Betty’s head dropped in defeat as she shifted back to her locker closing it. She turned around jumping at the sight of him.

“Everything okay?” he asked her, concerned. Betty nodded with clouded eyes.

“Everything is fine, just a little misunderstanding,” she said, and Jughead could see her pushing those storm clouds out of her eyes until they were the normal green color. Betty studied him closely. “You look tired,” she noted with a smile.

Ethel scoffed at this. “Geeze Betty, isn’t a little too early for you to be insulting people?” she asked her before walking off leaving the two alone to watch her go.

“I guess that I am just pissing everyone off this morning,” Betty sighed and turned to look at Jughead. “I didn’t mean it like that,” she told him.

“The cold must be making everyone extra sensitive this morning,” Jughead said with a shrug of his shoulders. “It’s not your fault, and I know you didn’t mean it like that. Ready to tackle some Geometry?”

“As I will ever be.”

“I didn’t get a whole lot of sleep last night,” Jughead said, walking through the hall. “I was kept up most of the night,” he explained quietly.

“Sounds like you had an interesting night,” Betty smiled at him. They entered the classroom taking their seats.

Jughead snickered. “If you call being drowned in seven pounds of slobber interesting, then you are right,” he said snarkily. “Josh tried pancakes this morning.”

Betty gasped bending forward. “Did he like them?” she asked in an excited whisper.

“He loved them.”

“That is amazing Jughead. I guess that is where that came from?” Betty asked pointing to something on his shirt. Jughead looked down to see a brown spot. He touched it, and it felt sticky.

“I didn’t even see that,” Jughead sighed wiping his hand on his pants. “Did you understand the problems that we had to do last night?”

“Somewhat,” Betty muttered. “Math is not my strong suit. I had to look it on google to understand it better.” 

“I am glad that I am not the only one,” He grumbled turning around opening his book to the page. “I only had one left, and that was that damn word problem.”

“Word problems are the worst,” she said bending forward. “So, it goes like this,” she began running her finger along the lines of the page. She explained how to do it, where the numbers were supposed to go and how to solve it.

“So the answer is 347?” Jughead questioned looking up, and she was struck on how blue they were. Betty forced herself to look away.

“That is right,” Betty nodded. 

Jughead shook his head. “You explain it better than the textbook and the teacher. Why couldn’t he explain it that way?” he wondered.

“Don’t you know that it is the teacher's missions to make our lives miserable?” The bell rang followed by the sound of a slamming door signaling the start of class. The rest of the day flew by quickly, and soon the students were heading for home. Or in Jughead’s case to speak to a teacher about getting caught up in the class. This class was a little ahead than his previous school, so the teacher asked him to come after class. So that was where he was currently heading to so that he could get it done and get home. He sent a quick text to his dad explaining the situation. FP texted back telling him not to worry that Pop’s wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. Jughead let out a sigh of relief before going into the classroom.

  
  


After a long and stressful day, Betty walked through the calls reluctantly going to the choir room for another meeting. Everyone who had a song assignment didn’t get to go so Kevin called a meeting the next day. Halfway through her second period, Kevin had texted her telling her that the pianist came down with the stomach flu so that meant that she would be the one playing for everyone. But she was okay with that. It got her out of singing in front of the group, so she called it a win. Then again at the same time, it was cutting into the free time that she needed to complete the plans of the Christmas Show.

She had also spent her entire lunch and free period in the auditorium trying to get it done. It also gave her the excuse to avoid the cafeteria and Veronica. Veronica had been upset at the fact that she had not shown up for Karaoke night. Betty tried to explain that her mom needed help, and it wasn’t a lie. There had been a string of robberies in the next town over, and her mom needed her help with tracking down the sources. But Veronica wouldn’t have it. So that led to their little argument earlier that morning. Betty stopped outside the door taking a deep before walking into the room.

“Betty, nice of you to join us,” Ethel muttered from her seat. “We have been waiting for you to show up.”

Betty said nothing to her as she sat down at the piano. She looked around the room and didn’t see Kevin, so she wasn’t late. She leafed through the sheet music on the rack trying to get them in the order.

“Betty?”

Betty looked up at the sound of her name and saw Veronica standing there with her eyes to the floor. “Hey V,” she said slowly.

“Can I talk to you outside for a minute?” She asked softly. Betty nodded and followed her out into the hall.

“Are you okay?” Betty questioned when Veronica turned around to face her.

Veronica smiled at her. “I was the one being a bitch to you, and you are the one asking me if I am okay,” she muttered shaking her head. “I just wanted to say that I am sorry for snapping at you this morning.”

“It’s okay, Veronica.”

Veronica’s eyes glistened with tears. “It is not,” she stated. “My father pissed me off this morning, and you were the first person I saw. I had no right to take my anger out on you. So will you forgive my little bitch rant this morning?”

Betty smiled at the girl in front of her before opening up her arms. “Come here,” she embraced Veronica in a warm hug. “Of course I forgive you,” she answered.

“Thanks, B,’ Veronica sniffled pulling back from the hug. “I also know that you are not in the best place right and want you to know that I am here if you need to talk. I am worried about B, and I miss you.”

“I miss you too,” Betty responded softly as Kevin came marching through the hall with an excited grin on his face and wrapped his arms around them.

“My girls,” Kevin breathed. “You know that I love you both, but it is time to get our show on the road,” he added before pulling them into the classroom. Betty hurried back over to the piano bench sitting down. She cracked her fingers before clenching her fist trying to warm her hands up for the amount of piano playing she would be doing.

“Who is up first?” Kevin said looking to the group with his hand on his hips. “Cheryl and Josie, you guys were great yesterday and Ethel you need to work on your B notes and manners they were both a little flat yesterday.” He advised. He turned to Betty giving her a small wink.

Betty swallowed back a laugh as she placed her fingers to the white keys. Kevin sighed when he got no answers. “Reggie and Toni. Your turn,” he said sitting down.

Cheryl clapped happily as Toni walked to the front with Reggie at her side. “Go get it, Babe,” she shouted to the pink haired girl. The group chuckled, and Josie glared at her partner.

“You are supposed to be rooting for your team,’ Josie hissed crossing her arms. 

Cheryl rolled her eyes as she turned to the singer. “I am rooting for my team. I am also rooting for my girl,” she told him. “It is not my fault she is hot.” Toni shook her head at Cheryl before blowing her a kiss. Everyone laughed at the couple’s antics. Kevin nodded to Betty telling her to start.

Betty started with the beginning chords, and Toni and Reggie took off in song. She laughed as the dup got creative and crazy with their dance moves. Most of the club was on their feet dancing with them. Toni walked over to Cheryl twirling her around as she sang the last few notes to her. The performance ended with cheers and applause. Kevin walked up to the two nodding his approval.

“Wow guys,” he said impressed. “When I paired the two of you up, I was thinking it was going to be a hot mess! But you taught me to think out of the square and into the triangle to try new things.” Everyone shared confused glances at Kevin’s word, but Kevin didn’t notice. “Great job you guys. Alright, next we have Archie and Veronica. Come up here Lovebirds,” he said sitting down.

Veronica smiled at Archie who held his hand out for her helping her out of the chair. Ethel and Valarie placed their hands on their chests at Archie’s sweet gesture. “Kevin, you really have a talent with your matchmaking eye,” Ethel praised with a dreamy smile. 

Kevin bowed to her. “I know I do,” he said cockily throwing smirk in Betty’s direction. Betty looked away from looking for the music for Archie and Veronica’s performance. She bit the inside of her cheek hoping that no one would catch on to the tail end of Kevin’s word. 

“I am ready when you guys are,” Betty said to her best friends. Veronica started tapping her foot to the flow of music coming from the keys.

Archie began to sing the first verse. “ _ All around me are familiar faces. Worn out places. Worn out faces.” _

Veronica grinned at Archie as she picked up her verse. “  _ Bright and early for their daily races _ ,” she sang.

_ “Going now where. Going nowhere _ ,” they chorused together. The others started clapping to the beat. “ _ Their tears are filling up their glasses. No expression. No expression _ .” 

Veronica turned around getting into the song. “ _ Hide my head. I want to drown in my sorrow. No tomorrow. No tomorrow.” _

As they got deeper into the song, Betty felt a deep chill enter her body and began to feel very light headed. She turned the page trying to stay focused on her playing but had to blink as the notes started to get very blurry. The lightheadedness turned into a fuzzy feeling something she got when she was about to pass out. When her hands began to shake, Betty had an idea of what was going on. But Betty willed herself to keep it together until she was finished with their song. That was going very well until she couldn’t tell if she was sitting down or standing and the awful sound of hitting the wrong key struck through her like an ice pick. Betty hoped that no one would notice and turned to see her worst nightmare come to life. The whole group was staring at her.

Betty smiled at them. “Sorry guys,” she said trying to sound apologetic while silently berating herself. She hated when she messed up.

Kevin looked at her concerned. “Are you okay, Betty? You never miss a key,” he pointed out to her.

Betty nodded. “I am fine,” she said swinging back around to the keyboard and closed her eyes. She knew if she didn’t leave now that she would not make it to the end. Not feeling the way she was right then. “Actually, Kevin,” she said glancing to her friend. “Do you mind if Josie finishes why I go get some fresh air?” 

Kevin looked at her closely. “She can play until you get back,” he told her. “Do you want one of us to go with you?” he asked her suggesting to Archie, Veronica and himself. They both were looking at her very concerned. They were the only ones who knew about her little condition. What was she talking about, they were the only one who she trusted enough to tell.

“No,” Betty shook her head getting up from the piano stool. “Sorry, I will be right back,” she said walking out of the classroom. Once she was in the hallway, Betty placed a hand on the wall begging the dizziness away. She had to think which direction she needed to go in to get to her locker. She forced her feet to move in a direction down the hall. She went around the corner only to run into what felt like a giant wall. Except this giant wall grunted at the impact. Betty felt like she couldn’t move and she was okay with that. Because this wall was very comfy and smelled very good, she breathed in deeply at the scent of earthy sandalwood and a woody mountain spring. The wall moved, and she wrapped her arms around it to keep it from leaving.

“No...don't go,” she muttered snuggling deeper into it. She loved the way this felt because it felt better than home. Wait, she knew the word for it...Heaven

“Um...Betty?”

Betty’s eyes snapped open as the familiar voice registered with her. She looked up to see Jughead staring down at her with an amused look. Betty suddenly wished that the floor would open up to swallow her. She stepped back pulling her arms from around his waist. “I am so sorry, Jughead,” she said wrapping her arms around her middle looking anywhere but at him. She felt like such an idiot.

“It’s okay,” Jughead said, and she could hear the laughter in his voice. How could she make a fool of herself in front of him? .Now he would probably never want to speak to her again. “Too bad I could have gotten that kind of a welcome yesterday,” he said teasing her. 

“Oh my God,” Betty sighed covering her face in her hands. “This is so embarrassing,” she whispered to herself. Her head was spinning, and it was not getting any better.

“Stop,” Jughead said reaching up pulling her hands away from her face. He leaned forward seeing how glassy her eyes look and then realize that there was something completely off with her. 

“I will be going now,” Betty said starting to walk around him, but Jughead held his arm out to stop her. “What are you doing?” she asked him looking at his extended arm.

“Betty, stop.” He reached up to cup her jaw, his eyes scanning her face. Her cheeks were white as snow. Betty’s eyes closed as she leaned into his touch. “Betty, are you okay?” he asked her.

Betty swallowed. “Yeah, I am just going to my locker,” she answered pointing over his shoulder.

Jughead glanced over his shoulder and frowned. “Betty, your locker is in the other direction,” he told her.

She shook her head at him. “No, it is not. It is that way,” she assured him pushing to move his arm so that she could go on but staggered slightly when the hallway started to spinning or was it she the one that was swaying. She couldn’t tell. “Woah,” she mumbled. Betty’s eyes dropped to the floor. “I need to sit down,” she murmured weakly. Jughead quickly wrapped an arm around her shoulders leading her into the nearest classroom or what appeared to be a classroom. It looked like an office more than a classroom. Betty walked over to a desk sitting down on top of it. 

“Do I need to call your mom or something Betty?”

Betty’s head popped up. “No,” she said quickly. “It is just my sugar. I think it dropped,” she explained to him. Jughead now understood why she was acting so odd. Betty reached back going into a drawer of the desk jotting down three sets of digits. “This is my combination. Will you go to my locker for me?” she asked him.

“What do you need?”

Betty smiled gratefully at him. “The small black pouch on the top shelf,” she answered handing him the post-it note. It was all like a blur, and he was out of the room and back within in minutes. 

“Here you go,” Jughead said after walking through the door closing it behind him.”

Betty beamed taking the item from him. “Thank you,” she said unzipping the pack. “Are you squeamish with blood?” she asked him slowly.

Jughead snorted. “I have a baby remember?” he reminded her taking a seat in a nearby chair. “If I was squeamish about anything, it went out the window when Josh was born.”

Betty chuckled as she set up the monitor. She placed the lancet to one of her fingers. “Ow,” she cringed, as it hit a sensitive part of her finger. She placed the drop of blood to the strip and winced when the number popped up on to the screen. “No wonder,” she muttered.

“What does it say?”

“64,” she answered throwing the strip away and wrapping her finger in a tissue. “I don’t know why I didn’t feel it earlier.”

Jughead bent forward with his elbows on his knees. “Isn’t it supposed to stay above 70?” he asked her. Betty looked up at him surprised.

“Yeah,” she nodded. “How did you know?” she questioned him, holding back a smile. This guy continued to surprise her every time she talked to him.

Jughead shrugged. “I knew someone that has similar issues,” he told her. “My grandma,” he revealed. “She would have problems with hers all the time.” 

Betty looked down at the meter in her hand. “I usually can feel it when it drops, but today I didn’t notice anything. Maybe it was because I was busy,” she said.

Jughead noded. “Does this happen often?” he wanted to know. Betty shook her head.

“No,” she replied honestly. “I can’t remember the last time I had a drop like this. This today was just weird.” She said dropping her head into her hand. It was starting to throb.

“Drink this,” Jughead said. She could hear the scrape of his feet on the floor as he trodded towards her. Betty looked up to see him holding out a can of coke. “My grandma would drink this all the time when she had her drops,” he said smiling sweetly at her. 

“Thanks,” she said reaching to take the can from him. She felt a shiver run through her when her finger brushed against his. She popped open the can and took a big swig of the drink. 

“Woah,” she gasped at the crisp burn. “It’s been a while since I had one of these,” she revealed clearing her throat. She looked up to see him watching her so closely. Betty felt her heart begin to pound under his blue gaze. 

Betty looked down at the can in her hand. “I’m sorry, Jughead,” she said feeling her eyes become misty.

Jughead settled his fingers under her chin raising her eyes back up to his. “What for?” he asked her, tilting his head.

Betty sniffled. “That you had to take time out of your day to help me,” she answered. “I know you have more important things to do besides taking care of me.”

Jughead shook his head. “Don’t worry about it. I couldn’t just leave you like that,” he said, “you were pretty bad off when I found you.”

Betty laughed. “You mean when I tried to turn you into my own personal pillow?” she asked him.

“Did you hear me complain any?” he challenged her, “it was kind of nice actually,” he grinned at her when Betty rolled her eyes.

“You know if you keep rescuing me,” Betty began, “you are going to create a hero complex with me.”

Jughead considered it for a second, “Hmm, but only for you though. I can’t have the whole school knowing that I am a softie,” he said causing her to laugh. Jughead let himself admit that he could listen to her laugh for hours. 

“You secret is safe with me,” she crisscrossed over her heart. 

“So what was the reason that you had to stay behind at school today?” he asked her.

“I had a Choir meeting.”

“Again?” 

Betty nodded. “Yep. We didn’t get finished yesterday, so we had to come today to get everyone’s performances done,” she explained. “I was in there when I started feeling bad.”

Jughead glowered at this. “So they just let you walk out of there like that?” he asked, “why wasn’t someone with you?”

Betty shook her head at him. “They would have came with me if I had asked them to,” she told him. She sighed, “I told them that I would be right back. I hate being a burden to people,” she murmured, setting the coke down on to the desk.

“Keep drinking that.”

Betty raised her eyebrows at him. “Are you using your daddy voice on me?” she asked him and snickered when his eyes widened. “I am kidding.” Betty looked around the room. “God, I miss this place.”

Jughead followed her gaze. “What is this place?” he asked her. 

Betty held up her arms. “This wonderful place is called the Blue and Gold,” she said proudly. “Our school’s newspaper.”

“You sound like you love it.”

Betty nodded. “I do or well I did. I haven’t been in this room in months,” she whispered. She looked down to the desk she was sitting. “This is my desk.”

“Why did you stop coming?   
  


“Mainly because of the Choir. It’s been a big year for Riverdale celebrating 75 years, so we had to do a lot of events to plan, or well I had to plan,” she corrected sarcastically. “And I couldn’t really do much since I was the only one interested in it.”

“If you had to choose which one do you love more? Music or writing?”

Betty closed her eyes thinking of the answer. “Writing. I love music. I really do, but writing is my true love,” she confirmed. “I can get lost in it for hours.”

“Then let’s start it back up again,” Jughead suggested. He could see a spark of excitement in her eyes. “What would we have to do?”

“We would need to get approval from Weatherbee in the morning,” Betty said then hesitated. “What about Josh?”

Jughead took a deep breath. “My dad says that I need to find something for myself. This could be it, but I have to be honest. I do start my new job in a couple of days.”

“New job? Where at?”

“At the new movie theater.”

“That sounds pretty cool,” Betty beamed at him, “doing what?”

Jughead shrugged his shoulder moving back to lean up against the set of shelves. “I have no clue yet. But I think it is the concession stand. I know it is not much-”

Betty cut him off. “Hey, a job is a job,” she affirmed intently. “As for the paper, if we get approved tomorrow, then we will work something out.”

“Betty, are you in here?”

They turned to see the door open as Kevin walked into the room. Uh no, Betty thought to herself, this was the last thing Kevin needed to notice before that brain of his had wild thoughts running through him.

Kevin let out a sigh of relief when he saw her. “I have been looking all over this school for you,” he said placing a hand on his chest. “Are you okay? What happened back there?”

Betty felt her cheeks begin to burn as she started to recall everything. “My sugar dropped.” She smiled at him.

“I see,” Kevin said tightly crossing his arm. “Did you eat your lunch today? I don’t recall seeing you in the lunch room with us.”

Betty rolled her eyes. “You know why I wasn’t there. I was working and yes I did eat, Mr. Mom.” She could not believe that he was doing this in front of Jughead of all people.

“What did you eat?”

Betty glanced at Jughead who was watching the scene quietly. “You don’t believe me?”

“I wouldn’t be asking you if I did? I know how you work sometimes. You tend to work and forget to eat. So what did you have?”

Betty bit her lip. “I had Macaroni salad with grape tomatoes and some watermelon,” she told him. “Are you happy now?”

“I will take it,” Kevin looked at his watch. “We still have a few minutes left. If you feel up to it, did you want to come back and finish?”

She shook her head. “No, I think I am going to go home for the day.” Betty felt guilty telling him that, but she just didn’t have it in her to sit at that piano.

Jughead spoke up for the first time since Kevin entered. “That may be the best thing. You still look a little peaky.”

“Alright,” Kevin agreed. “I don’t want to you walk home alone. Let me go get Archie, and he can walk with you.”

Betty scoffed at this. “He has practice, Kev,” she reminded him.

“He can just take you home and come back,” Kevin said. “You know he won’t mind, Betty.” he tried to reason with her.

“But I mind,” Betty said sliding off the desk. “I will be fine going on my own. It is just two blocks.” Kevin shook his head at her.

“I could walk with her.”

Betty and Kevin looked up at Jughead. “You don’t have to, Jug,” she shook her head. “It is out of your way anyway.” He had already done so much for her, and she couldn’t even think of asking more from him.

“I don’t mind Betty and Kevin’s right. You should not be walking home alone,” he told her. Betty felt her resolve begin to crumble under the intense looks that they were giving her.

Kevin smirked at Betty. “See he doesn’t mind,” he repeated with an extra meaning behind his words. Betty looked from one to the other.

“Neither one of you are going to budge on this are you?”

“Nope,” they answered at the same time. 

“Okay, I need to get back to the meeting to get the last minutes,” Kevin said backing out of the room. “Are you sure that you are okay?”

“Yes.” When Kevin disappeared out into the hall, Betty let out a long breath and turned to Jughead.

“You don’t have to walk me home,” she told him. “Kevin is just his overprotective self.”

Jughead gave her a look. “Are you really feeling better?” he asked her. “You weren’t just giving him some bullshit excuse so that he would leave you alone?”

Betty’s jaw dropped opened. “Not this time,” she answered. “I promise that I am feeling better. This coke really did the trick.”

Jughead stared at her for a long minute, and Betty swore that he could see deep into her soul. His gaze was stony and yet piercing at the same time. “Okay,” he said quietly moving to gather up his things. “Do you mind if we stop by Pops so I can get Josh from my Dad? Then I could drive you home.”

“Of course I don’t mind,” Betty said, and Jughead flashed her a grateful smile and moved to the door. “Jug?” she called to him softly.

He turned around. “Hmm?” 

Betty felt her heart begin to race once again as she walked up to him. “I just wanted to say thank you for helping me today.”

Jughead looked away, and she could tell that he wasn’t used to compliments. “It’s was nothing, Betty,” he said placing his hand on the doorknob.

“No,” she said reaching up to place a chaste kiss on his cheek. “It was everything,” she breathed. “Thank you,” she added solemnly. “Now let’s go get your boy.” He smiled at her opening the door allowing her to go out before him.

Jughead didn’t know how he had gotten out of the school and on to the sidewalk or to the corner. His mind was so cluttered with thoughts about the girl walking beside him silently. In fact, she filled every corner. Jughead thought back to the moment she collided with him in the hallway. Pale and confused out of her mind. He had only known her for a few days, but he could already tell that was not normal for her, but that wasn’t the part he was focused on. It was the way her arms slide around his middle with an ease that had him shook. Never in his life, had he ever experienced something like that and it was something that he could get attached to. But it wasn’t the feeling he could get attached to… it was her. Jughead turned to look at her. She turned to look at him with her green eyes. She flashed him a smile that had him gulping for air that was where the fear came into play because he was afraid that he was already attached to her. To her kindness and the warmth that seemed to radiate from her.

The sound of the bell ringing as they entered Pops interrupted his thoughts. It was the middle of the day, so the diner was empty except an elderly couple in the corner minding their own business. The sound also brought Fp to the front counter.

“I was wondering if you had gotten lost or something,” Fp remarked leaning on the counter. “I thought you said that you were on your way. What happened?” he questioned.

“It was my fault, FP,” Betty said from his side. “Jughead is late because he had to help me.”

Fp looked over to Betty. “Help you? How?” he asked her. “And don’t worry, I am not upset,” he said looking Jughead.

“My sugar dropped, and he just stayed with me until I got it up again,” she explained quickly. “And please do not tell my mother, she will freak out.”

“No worries there,” Fp snarked. “Dottie,” he called to the back. “You have to release your prisoner,” he said.

“What?! But I just got him,” Dottie yelled from the back of the kitchen. “You have been hogging him ever since you got here. I am showing him where we keep the food.”

Fp rolled his eyes. “Just bring the kid back. I think his dad wants to see him.”

“You better not be lying,” Dottie grumbled pushing through the double doors with Josh settled firmly on her hip.

“Would I lie to you, Dottie?”

Dottie gave Fp an annoyed look. “Let’s not discuss that in front of the children,” she suggested making the two teen chuckle at the hurt look on Fp’s face.

Betty smiled as Jughead’s face lit up at the sight of the boy. He walked over with his hands out for the baby. Josh held out his arms for him as Dottie handed him over to him. “Hi there,” Jughead spoke to the baby. “Did you have fun with Grandpa?”

“We had a great time. He ate, slept, ate, and slept.”

Jughead laughed. “That sounds like an average is Josh’s land.”

Betty looked around the diner. “Where is Pop?” 

“He took the day off to go tend to some vendors,” Dottie replied, and Betty capped her mouth with her hand.

“You mean he left the place with the two of you, and it is still standing?” she snorted in mock surprise. Dottie swatted at the younger girl who ducked to miss the swing.

“Behave you. Are you kids hungry?”

Jughead glanced down at Josh. “We can eat. What about you?” he asked Betty. “Will you stay for a bit?”

Betty nodded. “I could go for some cheese fries and a strawberry shake,” she said looking to him. After they settled into a booth, Jughead ordered himself a cheeseburger, fries and a chocolate shake.

“Can I hold him?” Betty asked Jughead. “My mom hogged him so much on Thanksgiving that I never got a chance.”

Jughead raised Josh passing him over the table to Betty’s awaiting hands. Betty smiled at the baby as she sat him down on her knee. “Hi there, sweet boy,” she cooed to him. Josh looked at her and then to Jughead who reached over to touch Josh's hand. 

“This is Betty,” Jughead explained to him. “She is very nice,” he told him. Josh raised his curious eyes back up to the blonde breaking into a big grin before clapping. Betty giggled at the cuteness of the boy.

“Here you babies go,” Dottie said placing their plates of food on the table. He went to take a sip of his shake as he watched Betty interact with his son. The sight shook him deeply into his core.

Yep...He was definitely attached. Now, he just had to find a way to be okay with that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading and the amount of reviews and postive words have been astounding. I would not be able to do what I do with your word. So thank you!


	6. Chapter Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A day of high school for Betty and Jughead part one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the short chapter, but I felt like this chapter needed to be broken up due to length. There is a lot that happens on this day, so I apologize.

_Chapter Six_

  


_“No! Mom No! Mommy!”_

_“Jughead! Let’s go!”_

_“I don’t want to leave Daddy!”_

_Gladys glares at him. “We are leaving! Now try those tears up! I won’t be raising a weak little shit.”_

Flash. Flash. Flash

_“This isn’t good enough Jughead!”_

_A slightly older Jughead looks at the report card in his hands. He has made good grades. 3 Bs, 2 As and 1 C. He was so proud of himself for doing so well. He had brought the card to his mother who only frowns._

_“When you have all As then come see me. These are pathetic. You have to do better Jughead.”_

_Jughead felt the tears sting in his eyes followed by a sharp sting to the cheek._

_“What have I told you before? No one likes a weak man. Try those damn things up. Now go find something to do to help me around here.”_

Flash. Flash. Flash

_A sixteen-year-old Jughead sits at the table. The door opens, and his mother walks through. There was a gleam in her eyes. Great! He was in for something_

_“Why can’t you be like your sister?”_

_Here we go, he thought._

_“Your sister is away studying to be a doctor, and you are here being lazy. I have asked you to find a job. And what are you doing, sitting around?”_

_“I am doing my homework,” he said smartly holding up the biology book in his hand._

_WACK!_

_Jughead closes his eyes. The slap should sting as should the words of his mother, but they don’t He had grown so used to them that he was numb to them._

_“Don’t talk back to me. You think you are better than me?” Her icy breath washed over her ear, and he could smell the stench of alcohol on her breath. As always...she was drunk again, or she was high...sometimes she could be both._

_“You are like me,” she whispered cruelly. “Just garbage. That gets tossed away.”_

_“Go to bed,” Jughead grumbles shrugging her off, and she stumbles into the floor where she laughs chillingly. He pulls the book closer to him, and suddenly it was ripped out of his hands._

_“Listen to me!”_

_The book falls to the floor with a slam echoing through the house._

_“Jughead?”_

_Jughead looks up to see Betty staring down at him. Her green eyes were shining like a ray of sunshine. She was holding Josh in her arms. “We need you Jughead,” she says laying her head on the baby’s._

_“No they don’t,” Gladys says coldly jerking his attention away. “They won’t love you. How can they love you when you are never enough? They need better. They deserve better. You will never be good enough for them. For her!” He looks up trying to find Betty, but she was gone. And he was along with his horrible excuse of a mother._

_“Betty?” he calls out to her._

_“She is not here Jughead. She is like all the others. Gone.”_

_“Your sister left and it was because of you. Gone. Gone Gone.”_

_Jughead slaps his hands over his ears to drown out his mother’s voice._

_“Never good enough.”_

_“Never Jughead!”_

_“Never!”_

_“Never!”_

_The voice turns into a buzzing sound._

  


_Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!_

Jughead opened his eyes to the semi-dark room. The buzzing continued, and he then realized that the horrible things that he had just witnessed were only a dream. He reached over to the table grabbing his phone hitting the snooze button. Jughead turned to see Josh flat on his back with his legs spread out and his arms above his head. He was still sound asleep. Jughead smiled as he took a picture of the scene before him.

He climbed out of bed moving around quietly gathering his things for a shower. When he was done, he got dressed and found himself looking into the mirror with the weight of the dream on his mind. He’s had them before and more often than not, they weren’t dreams. But this was the first one where Betty was in it. In all honesty, this was the first time since arriving in Riverdale that he had given his mother any real though. Well, except when he had that call with JellyBean.

Jelly Bean was always at a friends house studying or doing something for college applications because her dream was to go to med school after his sister had left for school that was when his mom really lost her way.

His mother would often come home drunk after a long night at the bar or high off her ass. There had been too many times when he would walk into the kitchen to find a half-naked guy sitting at their table. Sometimes they were friendly and sometimes they were straight up dickheads. If he ever needed anything, Jughead pretty much had to beg for it or do something to earn it. Like odd jobs at a nearby garage. There were times where he thought that he would be arrested for some of the things he had to do. Or he would try to something that would earn him some money. Such as mowing the neighbor's yards or walking their dogs. One time he even resorted to collecting old cans on the side of the road that he would trade in for money. Now food. He loved food, but there were times when the shelves were empty. It was rough living at the house, and when he was old enough, Jughead tried not to stay at home. He would often go to parties, something that he hated, so that he would not have to walk into that house. Then Josh happened, and she cleaned up her act, trying to play as the perfect grandmother except when it came to money. It was a constant thing that flew from her mouth. He had managed to land a job that was good paying and worked well with his schooling and son. Then Josh got sick, and he had to call out to many times which ended with him fired.

Jughead decided to pull himself out of his from thinking about the rotten thing he called his life. Well, at least he had gotten Josh out of it, and now he was here. He had wondered what his life would have been like if his mom had left him with their dad. He walked out of the bathroom doing a quick check on Josh before stepping into the living room. Jughead had a little while before he had to leave, so he grabbed his backpack pulling out his homework to work on.

He had just finished when he heard a door scrape open behind him. Jughead turned to see his dad coming down the hall.

“You are up early,” Fp said sitting down in the chair beside him.

“I just wanted to get a few moments to study,” Jughead said sticking his things in his bag. “While there is some peace and quiet. I might have found something that has secured my interest.”

“Really?” Fp asked leaning his arms on the table. “What might that be?”

“Betty and I are thinking of starting up the school newspaper again,” he said rubbing his face and then stops when he notices a gleam in his father’s eyes. “What?”

“You and Betty, huh?”

Jughead groaned. “We are just friends, dad,” he sighed getting out of his seat.

“Okay,” Fp nodded.

“I mean it, Dad. That is all we are,” Jughead grumbled pulling his bag on to his shoulder. He didn’t know if he was telling his dad that or himself. But it was way too early in the morning to be thinking of such things.

Fp shook his head. “I didn’t say anything,” he chuckled.

“You didn’t have to,” Jughead said tonelessly. “Josh was still sleeping when I last checked on him.” He listened to the air to make sure that nothing was coming from the bedroom, and it was still silent.

“Betty must have worn him out yesterday,” Fp said getting out of his chair walking over to the counter. He began placing heaping spoons of coffee into the filter.

“She must have,” Jughead agrees, placing his worn out beanie onto his head. “Do you need anything before I leave? There is more formula in my room if you need it.”

“I think I am good,” Fp replied watching the coffee starting drip into the carafe.

“Okay,” Jughead sighed looking around to make sure that he was leaving nothing behind. “I best be going before I am late.” He looked back towards the door wishing that he could see Josh before he left, but it a rarity that Josh ever slept in this late. So he decided to leave him be. Jughead couldn’t help that he was addicted to his son’s smiles in the morning.

“He’s fine, Jughead.”

Jughead turned back to his father with a reluctant smile. “I know,” he says before going to the door. “I will see you guys after school and call me if you need anything.”

“Jughead, we are not going to be having this conversation every morning. Believe it or not, I have been through two infants before. That being you and your sister,” Fp reminded him. “Now, get out of here and tell your girlfriend I said hello,” he called to him as Jughead opened to door to leave and froze.

Jughead looked back to his dad. “She is not my girlfriend.”

Fp snickered. “You should have been telling yourself that when the two of you were sharing looks in that booth at Pop’s yesterday.”

Jughead shook his head at his dad. “You are never going to stop this, are you?” he asked him.

Fp poured himself a cup of fresh coffee and held the mug up at him. “I just call things how I see things. You can’t deny what you have there. It screams loud and clear.”

“I am out of here,” Jughead said opening the door wide to step outside and he heard his father speak up again.

“You said that five minutes ago and you are still here.”

Jughead snorted. “Because you keep babbling,” he pointed out to Fp.

“You know I am right, Jughead.”

“Bye, Dad,” Jughead called stepping outside closing the door behind him before Fp could get another word of ribbing in. Jughead closed his eyes enjoying the quiet minus the patter of falling raindrops. He strolled down the steps to his car to begin the drive to school which was quick.

When Jughead arrived, he found the very person his dad had been teasing him around leaning up against his locker. She didn’t notice him at first since she seemed to be staring into space. “Betty?” he called to her, but her eyes didn’t flicker, and his first thought went to her sugar. Yeah, that kind of scared him for life. “Betty?” he tried again, this time he waved a hand in front of her face and was the trick he needed to play.

Betty’s eyes blinked twice before they turned their green gaze on to him. “Oh, you’re here,” she smiled leaning her head back against the metal wall.

“Only for a minute,” Jughead spun in his numbers and opened his locker. “You just didn’t seem to notice.”

“Sorry,” she laughed. “I was just thinking of what I was going to say to Weatherbee to try an improve our chances,” Betty explained as he pulled out his phone showing her the picture of Josh that he had taken earlier.

Betty took the phone in her hand. “Oh my gosh,” she gushed smiling at the picture. “That is too adorable.” She returned the phone to him. “You have such a cute kid.”

“He’s okay,” Jughead shrugged slipping his phone back into his pocket. “Sometimes I get jealous on how good he sleeps sometimes. Like this morning, he was asleep when I left.” He closed his locker.

“Don’t we all wish that we can sleep like a baby,” Betty sighed running ponytail through her hand playing with the ends. “This is for you,” she held a medium cup that had the logo: RiverBean on it.

“What is this for?” he asked accepting the cup. “I didn’t bring you anything,” he told her. “I could have at least brought doughnuts.”

“In the week that you have been here,” Betty began, “you have saved me three times. Take this as a small token of thanking you for making my life a little easier. As for doughnuts, some is waiting for you in the Blue and Gold.”

Jughead raised an eyebrow at her. “How long have you been here?” he asked her, suspicion evident in his voice.

“Not too long,” Betty answered, pushing off the lockers. They walked through the empty hall towards the Blue and Gold. “Since 6:30? I think?”

Jughead looked at his watch. “That was almost an hour ago,” he muttered. “How did you get in here?” he wondered.

“I have a key,” she answered. Of course, she does. “I couldn’t really sleep last night because I got a little too excited about the paper and started planning things. Hence, why I am the event planner.” They walk into the Blue and Gold, and Jughead had to bite back a laugh at the sight before him. There were two or three poster boards plastered to the wall, and the chalkboard was filled with ideas for them. A pro’s and con’s list was also on there sorting through ideas into good ones and bad ones.

Betty walked over to her desk. “We have about fifteen minutes before Weatherbee gets here and I figured that you and I could talk about events that the paper could cover,” she clapped her hands together before pointing to the desk. “The doughnuts are over there, so help yourself.”

And he did. Jughead Jones would never turn down food, and these were the best damn doughnuts he had ever eaten. “So what is the events?” he asked her taking a seat in the chair that he had occupied the day before.

“Well, it is Riverdale’s 75th anniversary so I thought that we could cover the Christmas Show,” Betty suggested. “It is a rather big deal in this town because of the number and would be good to have something historical. We can have a section offering the days and times of the tutoring center, the list of subjects. There is also the Winter Ball coming up and the Christmas Village.”

“Christmas Village?” Jughead asked her downing the rest of his coffee.

“The Christmas Village is something the town puts together for family fun,” Betty replied. “They have a station where the children can make cookies, crafts, and music. There are lights and reindeer and sleigh rides. Now, the Christmas show is when they light the town Christmas Tree. The choir club sings for it, a silent auction for charities and of course my favorite part, the Chili festival.”

Jughead nodded as his heart twisted in his chest at the thought of Christmas. He didn’t have the fondest memories of the holiday. Christmas was supposed to be magical for children, but for him, it was anything but magical. It was the only time of the year where he would envy for something else in his life. Not allowing the woman to cloud up his thoughts, he pushed her out and focused on the blonde before him. “What do you love the Chili festival?”

Betty gave him a comical smile. “Because, Chili is like the best food, ever,” she stated matter-of-factly. “Everyone knows that. You should come and try them. My favorite is Dewey’s. He makes this Shrimp and red bean chili that is to die for.”

“Shrimp in Chili?” Jughead grimaced at the thought of such two things together.

“I know,” Betty sat back in her chair stretching her arms out. “I thought the same thing when I first heard of it. Dewey goes all out too. He goes to New York and finds the freshest Shrimp that he can find, and it is so worth it. He spent a year or two down in New Orleans, and that was where he learned of the duo.”

“Dewey? As in Dewey Sullivan?” Jughead asked. “He’s my boss at the theater or will be when I start. He was the one who gave me the job.”

Betty smiled fondly at the name. “Dewey is a good guy.” Her eyes glanced over to the clock on the wall. “Hey, it’s time,” she said getting out of her chair. “Are you ready to go sell our idea?”

“Yep, let’s go,” Jughead said following her out the door. The hall was a little bit more crowded than before as more students were beginning to fill the halls. The trek was short, and soon they were sitting in the chair in front of the very person they were waiting for. Weatherbee.

“How can I help you kids today?” Weatherbee asked them placing his cupped together hands on to his desk.

“Well, Mr. Weatherbee, we were hoping that you would grant us the support of starting the Blue and Gold up once again,” Betty explained.

“I see,” the older gentleman nodded. “You couldn’t stay away from it could, you Miss. Cooper?”

“No,” Betty said continuing by pulling Jughead into the conversation explaining their idea for the paper. By the end of their presented case, Weatherbee was looking at them with an impressed look. He also gave them advice on what they could do as well.

“You have done your homework,” he praised the two teenagers prodding his chin with his pointer finger. “I will honest, and it is good to see you spreading your wings, Miss Cooper. I am surprised that you have last this long,” he looked between the two eager teens. “Alright, you have my consent. I also want a copy on my desk, the Friday before the initial release. That way I can give my approval on the subjects that are being discussed. I don’t want anything that will cause any offense to the readers. However, once you make a commitment, you must stay with that commitment, am I understood?”

“Of course.”

“Yes, sir.”

Weatherbee glanced at the clock. “You two need to be getting on to your first class before you receive detention for being late.” The phone on his desk began to ring. “This is the Mayor,” he told them. “I must take this. I trust you can see yourselves out?”

Betty nodded grabbing on to Jughead’s arm pulling him out of the room. By the time they were out in the hallway, a broad grin was plastered to her face. “That went easier than I thought it would. He must have had the right blend of coffee this morning.”

“Or maybe it was because you had him eating out of the palm of your hand,” Jughead teased her. “You should have seen the drool rolling down his chin.”

  


“Oh stop,” Betty laughed letting go of his arm and pushed him away from her. “All I did was tell him what we talked about, but I don’t think I did it on my own. I have you to thank, Mr. Jones. You had some great ideas as well.”

“Actually, I just read them off the board that you had filled out in the Blue and Gold,” Jughead told her. “So, I can’t take credit for them.”

“Neither can I,” Betty sighed turning the corner to go to her locker to get her textbook for her first class. “I learned most of what I know from my mother. Don’t tell her I said that.”

“Won’t your mother be proud?”

“I mean it, Jug. That says between you and me,” she told him. “It will go to her head, and I will never hear the end of it.”

Jughead fell silent as they pushed through the crowd, “I guess I can be your secret keeper,” he sighed dramatically. “It’s only fair since you are keeping a secret for me.” They share a smile as they arrive at Betty’s locker, but the moment was ruined when she turned to go into her locker and froze. Jughead watched the blood drain from her face. He followed her gaze and saw the reason why.

Plastered on her locker door was a white piece of paper with big black letters. These black letters spelled out: KILLER!

Jughead glanced around, and the people of the hallway were continuing with their day. Like this was an everyday thing, Jughead looked back at the words himself and found himself growing angry at the words. Who would do such a thing? He looked at Betty who was staring at those words with wide eyes. He could tell that she was reading it over and over again. There were so many emotions swirling around in those green irises that he couldn’t even name one. “Betty,” he said in a gentle voice placing a hand on her shoulder. Betty took a deep breath before tearing the offending word off of her locker door.

Betty looked at the paper in her hands before crumbling it into a ball. “It’s nothing, Jughead,” she mumbled in a low voice. Jughead could tell by the way she was acting that this had happened to her before. But why? “People just can’t help but be assholes around here,” she told him as she grabbed her things out of her locker. Betty slammed her door shut walking off without another word in his direction. He wanted to follow her but the way her ponytail swished behind her as she walked, told him not to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter should be ready soon. Probably not tomorrow because my son has a field trip and will be away for that. And tomorrow is Riverdale Day. So happy watching!


	7. Chapter Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The second part of the last chapter. 
> 
> Jughead makes a decision and it ends with a little flirtation between Jughead and Betty. Also, another Choir club meeting with a little added something to it. More details on the Christmas Show is told.

_ Chapter Seven _

  
  
  


The day wore on, and Jughead found himself sitting at a lunch table with Ethel and Veronica. He was gobbling down a nice helping of fries while he scanned the cafeteria for the blonde. He hadn’t seen her all morning since the incident with her locker. Jughead had even sent her a text message hoping that she would answer him, but there were no replies sent to him.

“What are you looking for, Jughead?”

Hearing his name drop, Jughead turned to see Ethel and Veronica both staring at him. “What?” he asked them. 

“I asked you, what are you looking for?” Ethel repeated as she picked at her fruit salad. “Do you need help finding something?”

“Nothing in particular,” Jughead lied picking up his hamburger as the two girls picked up their previous conversation.

“My mom is very excited about the Christmas Show,” Veronica said chowing down on some almonds. “It is supposed to be remarkably fun. I hope it snows this year that will make it even more magical.”

“Don’t get your hopes up Veronica,” Ethel sighed pushing her plate away from her. “Has your mom told you what her plans are for the show?”

Veronica slipped her latte and shook her head. “My mom and Kevin are very hush-hush about it. I know that the Choir club will be singing though. I just don’t know how yet. She is supposed to be announcing it this afternoon during the meeting.”

Jughead listened while the girls continued to talk about the Choir club and remembered that Betty was in the Choir club. He wondered if Betty would be at the meeting and he took a deep breath as he realized that there was only one way that he could find this out. “The Choir Club?” he asked obtaining their attention. “Can you tell me more about it?” 

Veronica and Ethel glanced at each other and grinned. “Who should do the honors?” Veronica asked her. “Together?” she proposed to Ethel. The silently agreed and turned to Jughead like two starving vultures who had no idea that they were walking into a trap. “The Choir group is a musical club,” Ethel began the long-winded version of the club. By the end of it, Jughead decided that it much rather have Betty’s story which was short and sweet.

“I see,” Jughead responded folding his hands laying his chin on top of them, but they had kept the most crucial detail that he needed. “How does one enter the club, if one was interested?” he asked them. “Just out of curiosity.”

Veronica began placing her trash on her tray. “The person interested in joining the club will have to talk to my mom, and she will decide on what the person needs to do,” she explained.

After lunch, Jughead walked through the halls avoiding the student lounge knowing that was where everyone was meeting for the free period, but he didn’t feel like socializing at the moment. Because he had one goal in mind: to join the Choir Club. Why? So that he can have even more access to the blonde that was now beginning to take up every one of his thoughts. Wasn’t he panicking about being attached to her and now this? He wanted to know how she has gotten so deeply under his skin and so fast. Maybe it was the way her eyes lit up with passion when she spoke about the paper that morning. Or possibly it was the way her face lit up yesterday when she was talking to Josh. Or perhaps it was that first day at her house when he held Betty for the first time in his arms. He has only known her a week, and he was already in deep trouble.

He continued walking through the halls until he paused outside a closed door. He took a deep breath as he knocked on the door. He heard a stifled voice telling him to come in. Jughead opened the door to see a middle-aged woman with long dark hair look up from the desk she was sitting behind.

“I was wondering if I could speak to Mrs. Lodge,” Jughead began as he stepped inside the office.

“That would be me,” she told him pulling her glasses off her face. “What can I do you?” she asked expectantly.

Jughead counted the numbers in his head while he gathered his courage to ask the question. Or maybe he was trying to tell his mind, who was trying to talk him out of it, to be quiet. “I was wondering if I could join the Choir Club?” he asked her.

Mrs. Lodge hiked an eyebrow at him. “You want to join the Choir Club? What is your name? I assume that you are new here considering that I have never seen you before.”

Jughead nodded. “I am new. My name is Jughead Jones, and I want to join the Choir Club. I was wondering what I had to do to join?”

Mrs. Lodge got out of her chair and walked around to the front. “Are you sure that you want to join my Choir Club, Mr. Jones?”

“Yes.”

“You don’t sound so sure,” she pointed out to him crossing her arms. “I need my players to be sure and confident in themselves, so let's try this again. Are you sure that you want to join my Choir Club?”

“Uh…” Jughead’s words fell into a void of nothingness as he ran through every thought trying to find the right answer. 

“My God, you kids are so gullible,” Mrs. Lodge said with amusement lacing her voice. “Man, the expression on your face,” she sighed shaking her head. “You looked like I was about to go pop one of those balloon animals. I was only kidding by the way. I like to keep my kids on their toes and have fun with them too.” Jughead smiled slightly at her as he felt his heart begin to beat a normal pace. He was positive that it had stopped working for a minute or two.

“So,” she started, her voice was now carrying a more serious note. “Can you sing?” she asked him.

“I can, and I can play guitar,” Jughead added, and it was true, he could play the instrument.

“Well on that note, in order to join the choir club, you will have to audition in front of the club, and they would have to vote on your entry. The voting is based on your talent.”

“That's it?”

“Yes, Mr. Jones,” she said returning to her chair. “That is it. There is a meeting after school. How about we do your audition then?” she suggested. “Or is that too soon?”

“Not at all,” Jughead ensured her firmly. “I will be there. Thank you for your time.” He turned around to leave, but then she asked something that had him dropping his books.

“What about your baby?”

Jughead wheeled around to look at her. “I’m sorry?” he asked her. Had Betty said something to someone? He wasn’t ready for the school to know. Would she do something like that? “What did you just say?”

Mrs. Lodge smiled at him. “Your baby, Mr. Jones,” she repeated. Jughead felt his jaw drop open. So, he did not just imagine it. She really did say that. 

“How?”

“I saw him in the diner with your dad the other day when I stopped in for some of his onion rings,” she revealed to him. “I held him for a few minutes while your dad tended to a customer that had spilled their drink all over the place. He told me that the baby was his grandson and when you told me your last name a second ago, I put two and two together.”

Jughead looked down to the floor feeling ashamed that he was quick to assume that about Betty. “My dad wants me to join a club so that I can have time being a teenager and I love music so I felt that the Choir club would be a good fit for me.”

“Well, I can’t wait to hear your audition,” Mrs. Lodge said opening a book on her desk. “If you need anything at all Jughead, please ask. Now, if you don’t mind, I need to get back to these plans and dance routines.”

“Yes, Ma’am,” Jughead said backing out of the room closing the door behind him to give her some privacy. When he was out in the hallway, Jughead leaned up against the wall pinching the bridge of his nose. Apparently keeping Josh a secret in a small town like Riverdale was going to be harder than he thought. 

The rest of the day went by much quicker than Jughead anticipated. He had spent the last period with his cell phone under the desk trying to find something that he could play. He scrolled through his playlist, but nothing stuck out him or sounded like the winning deal. Jughead even searched on google and still nothing. He heard the sound of heels and turned to see Veronica making her way through the hall coming to a stop in front of him.

“My mom just told me the most interesting news,” she said pursing her lips. “Do you want to guess what that was?”

Jughead shrugged his shoulders. “I have no idea,” he replied closing his locker door. “What?”

Veronica furrowed her perfectly shaped eyebrows at him. “Really?” she deadpanned. “You are going to play that card? Why didn’t you say anything when we were talking about the Choir Club at lunch. We could have helped you prepare, Jughead.”

Jughead sighed. “I didn’t want to make a big deal about it.”

Veronica huffed at him. “A big deal? What do you think is going to happen if you aren’t ready? Do you want to sink or do you want to swim? What about the song? Have you picked something out?”

“Nope. Nothing.”

“Seriously?” Veronica lowered her head to her hand. “Alright, no need to panic. We can pick you a song from our sheet music and go from there.” She grabbed his arm pulling him through the hallway. “How does that sound?”

“Like I don’t have a choice?”

“Well, you really don’t.” Veronica threw over her shoulder at him. “Archie brought his guitar today so he can help out too.”

“Really? He will?” Jughead asked sound skeptical. “I haven’t asked him."

“You don’t need to worry in that department,” Veronica said as they neared the Choir room. “I will take care of everything. Just promise to make me the godmother of your firstborn when you have kids.” 

Veronica stopped sticking her head into the room. She mentioned to someone to come to her, and a second later Archie Andrews stepped out. Veronica started talking, and her voice began to whirling in his head while he tried to keep up with what she was saying.

  
  


-

  
  


Betty sighed tiredly as she sat down in her chair waiting for the choir meeting to start. Her day had not gone like she had planned, being pulled from class to work on a special project. It was more stressful than anything. She opened her history textbook hoping to get it out of the way. This is one thing she hated about being assigned these stupid tasks. Her school work often would bite the dust and probably the reason for her last grade.

“Archie, come here.”

Betty looked up to see Archie walk over to Veronica who pulled him out to the hall. She was wondering what was going on due to the gravity in Veronica's voice. She was about to check when Archie and Veronica walked back into the room and to her surprise with Jughead at their side. Veronica pointed to the piano stool telling him to have a seat before going to her own. Jughead sat down on the stool, and his eyes met hers for the first time since he entered the room. She pushed the book out of her lap and walked over to him.

“What are you doing in here?” she asked him curiously.

“You will see.”

“I will? Does it have something to with why you look so terrified?” she asked him with a knowing smile. 

“Is it that noticeable?”

Betty glimpsed down to his legs, and his one knee was bouncing like a pogo stick. “Very,” she chuckled. “You like you want to make a mad dash to the door and never come back,” she whispered to him.

“Is that an option?” he asked her sounding hopeful. “Because I would consider it at this point,” he told her with wide eyes. “I don’t know what I was thinking.”

Betty moved to sit down with him. “Are you okay?” she asked him worriedly. “I have never seen you like this before, and you are an inch away from a complete meltdown. What is going on, Jug?”

Jughead sighed turning to look at her. “I may have had this insane thought about joining the choir,” he answered. 

Betty blinked at his response. “You want to join the club?” she asked him sounding surprised. “This club?”

Jughead nodded apprehensively. “That was the plan, but now I think that it was a bad idea,” he muttered dragging his eyes from hers. “The reason I am freaking out because I have no idea what I want to do.”

Betty pursed her lips. “I didn’t know that you had an interest in music,” she said softly. “Or singing,” she added. “You don’t seem like the music type.”

Jughead shrugged his shoulders. “There’s a lot that you don’t know about me, Betty,” he told her.

“I am starting to figure that out,” she mumbled softly. “Every time, I think that I have you figured out, you do something that surprises me all over again.”

“What can I say? I’ve got layers.”

“I see that,” Betty said nudging his shoulder with hers. “I can’t wait to see what you have in store for us.”

Jughead scoffed at her. “Don’t get too excited. As I said before, I have no idea what I am doing and will probably make a fool of myself. So I will probably be denied access at the first note that comes out of my mouth.”

“You are just nervous, Jug.”

Jughead shook his head at her. “I don’t want to become a scapegoat,” he muttered. She was right. His nerves were getting to him. Loudly. No screaming and they were winning.

“Stop it,” she said firmly placing a hand on his arm. “Look at me Jughead,” she urged him gently. When he didn’t, she reached up turning his gaze to hers. “Stop thinking like that. It is going to be okay.”

“How do you know?” he asked her. “I will probably be the laughing stock of the whole school by tomorrow morning.”

Betty forced herself not to laugh at his dramatics knowing that his mind was well justified. “I understand where you are coming from, but you are going to be fine.”

“I hope so.”

Betty looked around the room making sure that no one was paying attention and to her luck, everyone had their own conversation partner while they waited for the meeting to start. “Do you sing with Josh?” she asked leaning into so that Jughead was the only one who could hear her. 

“Sometimes.”

“Then how about this,” she started lowering her voice even more. “If you get nervous, just imagine that you are singing to him, but without the baby voice.”

Jughead nodded. “That is not a bad idea,” he stated her glancing around the room. “But they aren’t as cute as he is,” he said as they shared a laugh. He decided then that he loved the sound of it.

“That is true,” she told him. “Then find something else to focus your mind on that you think is cute,” Betty suggested. “There has to be something.” 

“What about you?”

Did he just call her cute? “Me?” she asked in a weak voice. Betty felt the heart in her chest do a backflip at the words that just came from his mouth. She struggled to find the words when Jughead nodded his head. Come on Betty, answer the guy, she thought to herself. She looked away from him hiding a smile “If it helps you get through the moment, then yes,” she told him in a small voice.

Jughead smiled shyly at her and started to say something else, but Mrs. Lodge chose that exact moment to walk into the room. Betty squeezed his arm before hurrying over to her seat leaving him and his thoughts alone. He couldn’t believe the bomb that he had just dropped with Betty. What if she repulsed him now? What if she thought that he was a creeper now? What if he had ruined any chance with her? Did he want a chance with her? Did he even have a chance with her? Betty was well out of his league, and he would need all the luck in the world to catch. And luck has never been on his side.

“Alright kids,” she said clapping her hands to gather everyone’s attention. “Find your seats. We have a lot to discuss today. I know you all are jumping to find out information on the Christmas Show. I am pleased to inform you that by the end of this meeting, you will know all the juicy details and will be leaving with new duet partners.” 

The group started murmuring together at this and Mrs. Lodge sighed dramatically. “Yes, I said the dreaded word duets. I know how all of you hate them, but will you hate them when I tell you that you will be competing for a prize? Still not happy? What if I told you that the prize was cash?” When she looked at the faces of her students, she nodded knowingly. “That is what I thought. So, this is how this little competition is going to go. You will all each get a partner of course. You and your partner will have two rounds. The first round will happen here in this room. The top three finalists will move to the next round which will take place during the Christmas Show where you will vote. The couple that has the most points will win the prize.

“Now if you would please hold on to your questions, we can move on to the part of the meeting that I have been most excited about,” she started waving a hand in Jughead’s direction, “Mr. Jones has asked me if he can join the club. I have allowed him to do his audition with us this afternoon. You all know how it goes. He will sing a couple of bars, and we will vote on his entry. Am I understood?”

“Yes,” the class chorused together. Mrs. Lodge nodded proudly at her group before turning to Jughead.

“Jughead, do you have your song picked out?”

Betty felt her heart stop as she watched Jughead pale even more. Why was she the one feeling nervous? This wasn’t her audition. It was his, but it still didn’t stop her fingers from crossing. Oh, she was going to have a panic attack before the end of the day. Then Jughead does something that surprises her. Again.

“I do.” Jughead got up from the stool looking over to Archie. “Do you mind if I use your guitar?”

Archie nodded, he bent down working the instrument out of the case and handed it to Jughead. “I can play for you if you need me to.”

“Thanks for the offer, Archie. But what I am going to play is not that hard to do,” he said pulling the shoulder strap over his head and walked back into the middle of the floor. He plucks at the strings a few times before twisting the pegs until he found the sound that he needed. 

“What will you be singing for us today?” Mrs. Lodge requested after she sat down in her chair that was off to the side away from the rest of the students.

“I will be singing James Bay’s Hold Back the River,” he answered patting the top of the guitar.

“Nice choice,” Mrs. Lodge stated expressing her approval. “If you are ready, you may begin.”

Jughead took a breath before moving his fingers over the strings once again. But this time the movement was precise, and a melody of chords followed.  _ “Lonely water, lonely water, won’t you let us wonder. Let us hold each other. Lonely water, lonely water, won’t you let us wonder. Let us hold each other.” _

Betty couldn’t describe what she felt as she listened to the boy in front of her sing. She wanted to smile, but everything in her body seemed like it was frozen. She watched as his fingers moved and found herself wishing that those fingers would do the very same to her. She cleared her throat as she sat up straighter in her seat crossing her legs. There was something about watching him sing that was...turning her on. No no no no no, she told herself. It was not! But damn, he could sing. It didn’t help that he was singing one of her favorite songs and she could feel her toes curling in her boot. She forced herself out of her head to focus on listening as he moved on to the chorus.

Jughead shifted his weight to his one leg. _ “Hold back the river let me, let me look in your eyes. Hold back the river so I can stop for a minute and be your side. Hold back the river. Hold back.”  _ he paused adding some extra chords in there to had his personal touch.

Betty felt a giggle building in the bit of her stomach as she looked around to the others who were listening actively as well. Betty caught the eyes of Veronica. She smiled her approval and the silently agreed. This was going to be a good thing. She caught the movement of Ethel, and she looked to see the girl fanning herself. She felt her fists curl feeling a strong urge to strike the bitch. Where the hell did that come from? Not once in her life, has she ever held such a thought. What was happening to her? She had no right to post a claim on Jughead. He was not hers to claim. Betty told herself to calm down and turned her gaze back to Jughead.

Jughead was looking around moving deeper into the song. She could tell by the look of peace on his face that he was enjoying it. No, he was loving it. His eyes moved along the other members stopping when they met hers as he slowed the tempo of the song.  _ “Hold back the river let me look in your eyes. Hold back the river so I, can stop for a minute and see where you hide. Hold back the river, hold back.” _

Betty felt her heart stop. Was he singing to her? Can’t he see what he was doing to her? She was ready to swoon and melt into the floor. Betty wanted to close her eyes and listen to him sing for the rest of her life. She wanted to be able to listen to that voice and fall into an easy sleep. His fingers continued to pluck at the strings of the guitar and Betty was wondering if he was also plucking the strings of her heart. Because it was twirling around with little flutters as Jughead moved into the last verse. What was she just saying about not having a claim on him? Because she felt like that was about to change. Even if she didn’t want it to. Betty smiled proudly at him laying a hand on to her rapidly beating heart. 

Jughead pulled his eyes away dropping them down to the guitar.  _ “Hold back the river let me look in your eyes. Hold back the river hold back,” _ he sang slowly.  _ “Hold back the river so I can stop for a minute be by your side. Hold back….Hold back.”  _ he lingered with one final strum to the guitar closing the song.

The room was quiet while Jughead handed the guitar back to Archie. “Thanks, man,” he said shifting his attention back to the class for the verdict. Jughead hoped that he didn’t sound as bad as he thought. It had been a while since he had played and he picked up a few places where his notes were flat. However, it was now or never.

Mrs. Lodge got out of her seat placing her hand on to his shoulder. “That was very nice,” she told him. “Great job. Let’s see what everyone else has to say. All those in favor of not letting Jughead join, raise your hand now.” Jughead was surprised when no hands were raised.

“All those in favor of letting, Jughead in, raise your hand-” Betty’s hand shot up into the air like a rocket ship trying to reach the moon. She knew that she probably received some weird looks, but she didn’t care. However, everyone else quickly followed with their hands up in the air.

Mrs. Lodge chuckled. “Well, the votes are loud and clear,” she turned to Jughead with a warm smile. “And I couldn’t agree more. Welcome to the Choir Club, Jughead.” This was followed by cheers and a mighty round of applause from the other club goers.

Jughead smiled at the woman. “Thank you,” he said feeling a giant weight lift off his shoulders and disappear into the air.

“I think you are going to do very well with us here,” Hermione told him confidently. “Have a seat, and we will move on with business.” She walked over to the other side of the room to her desk.

Jughead walked over the first empty chair that he found. And to his luck, it was right next to Betty Cooper. He pointed to it. “Do you mind if I sit here?” he asked her.

Betty looked over to the seat and back to him. “Well, if you have to,” she breathed dramatically removing her bag from the chair so that he could sit down. “Looks like you worried about nothing.”

“Are you kidding me?” Jughead asked her incredulously. “I felt like I was all by myself on an iceberg in the Atlantic waiting to fall off the ice shelf.”

Betty shook her head at his dramatics. “Now you can relax because it is all over,” she told him. 

“Thank God for that,” he said stretching his legs out in front of him. “I never want to audition for anything ever again in my life.”

“Really?” Betty shifted in her seat. “What if it was for the biggest movie event of the year? Where you are the star?”

“Nope.”

“What if it was for a remake of Titanic?”

“The guy dies at the end by freezing to death...No.”

Betty smiled as she thought of something else. “What if it was for like the Avengers?”

Jughead gave her a bored look. “Really? You pegged me as an Avengers guy?”

“Mmm. I can totally see you as Ant-Man.”

Jughead rolled his eyes. “Wow… I was hoping that you would at least would give me Captin America.”

“No...He doesn’t fit your style,” Betty stated with her eyes wide as she tried to picture it. “You holding a shield does not sit right with me. No… Wait… I know… Star-Lord.”

Jughead covered his face with his hand, “And it just keeps getting worse and worse…” he groaned. “I can’t wait to hear what else you have coming my way next.”

Betty bumped his arm with her elbow. “You should feel lucky I said that,” she began, lowering her voice. “Christ Pratt is one of my favorite actors and is seriously hot.” Betty snapped her mouth shut shocked as what she just said clicked in her mind. She pulled her eyes away from him, and she could hear him laugh and she knew that he had heard it as well.

“Is that so?” Jughead sniggered, and Betty peeked out the corner of her eye to see him with a grin of pure satisfaction at her. Why the hell did she say that for? And for him to hear her. Betty bit down on her lip wishing the ground would open up to swallow her. “Did you just call me hot?”

Betty shook her head. “Nope,” she sassed studying the wall looking for something interesting. Anything to keep her from glancing back at him. And it became harder than she imagined as she felt the rumble of his voice on her ear.

“I think you did,” he whispered sending goosebumps down her neck, down her spine to her toes.

Betty cleared her throat, “So? You called me cute earlier,” she reminded him with a quirk of an eyebrow. “Now we are even.”

Jughead tilted his head forward. “Are we going to be keeping score?” he asked her wanting to keep the conversation that he was thoroughly enjoying going. 

“I suppose only time will tell,” she returned as Hermione came back from her desk stopping in the middle of the room with a small bucket in her hand placing it on to the piano.

“Alright, can I have everyone’s attention please?” Hermione called and waited until everyone is quiet. “The time has come for the choosing of your duet partners. There are seven names in this bucket, and there are seven names not in the bucket. The names that didn’t go into the bucket will be called upon and will pull out a name. When you get your name, you will call it out, and your partner will come up and stand beside you,” she explained before continuing with her little speech.

“Also, the person chosen will be your partner for the duration of the project. There will be no changing or trading places. If you don’t get along, you will have to find a way to make it work.” Hermione looked to her clipboard. “The drawers will be Reggie, Val, Melody, Fangs, Josie, Jughead, and Toni. Come on up here you guys.”

Betty turned her head towards Jughead. “Have fun,” she told him as he sent her a small look of panic as he left his chair. The group surrounded the piano as they reached into the bucket one by one until all the names were gone. When the last piece of paper left the bucket, Hermione held it up to show them that it was empty and placed it elsewhere.

“Reggie,” Hermione said with a pen in her hand. “What is the name you got, dear?” she asked him.

Reggie turned the piece of paper around a smirked when he saw the name. “Veronica,” he read out loud. 

Betty looked towards Veronica and wanted to laugh when she sent a help look in her direction. She also looked to see what Archie’s reaction was and by the expression on his face, Archie was not happy about it. Archie squeezed Veronica’s hand as she got up to stand next to Reggie.

“Missed me already huh?” Reggie asked Veronica sliding an arm around her shoulders. “All you had to do is say something. I know that Archie’s vanilla ass is probably too boring for you.”

“Oh, Reggie hun,” Veronica mocked throwing his arm off of her shoulders. “There are so many cruel things that I can say to you right now, but I would like to spare my mother of those images, so I am just going to keep my mouth shut.”

“Enough of the drama,” Hermione piped up and stared pointedly at Reggie. “Mr. Mantle, I expect you to be on your best behavior while you are working with Veronica. You will also receive two days of detention for your use of language.”

“I was only joking, Mrs. L! Also, I can’t get detention. We have practice on those days,” Reggie tried to reason with his teacher.

“You should have thought about that when you used your choice of words earlier, Reggie. If Coach Clayton has a problem, he can come and see me. I will happily say it to his face. Think of better choices next time. My word is absolute on the detention,” she finished firmly. “Enough of this subject, let’s move on to the next couple. Josie, your name please, Honey.”

“I have Archie,” Josie said looking up from her piece of paper. The class hooted as Archie joined her next to the piano. Fangs went next calling out Kevin’s name, and then it became Jughead turn to announce his partner.

He opened the piece of paper hoping that the name on the other side would be anyone but Ethel. The entire time he had been standing up here, she had been giving him this weird starry eye look, and it was beginning to creep him out a bit. He liked Ethel. She was courteous and friendly with a warm smile, but they just didn’t click for him. Jughead flipped the paper over to see the name that he had been secretly hoping for. “Betty,” he said peering up at her and he swore that Kevin to his right uttered a quiet ‘yes.’

Betty had to fight back a grin as she got out of her chair. There was something so satisfying about hearing Ethel scoff and mutter something under her breath. When did she become so petty? And why the hell did she not care? She pondered to herself as she took her place beside Jughead.

“Hey there, Juliet,” Jughead greeted her with a smile making those butterflies appear once again.

Okay, wait a second. She was wrong. Forget Ethel! What Jughead just said to her was so much better. She caught the smug smirk that Kevin was throwing her way and just shook her head at him. She knew that there was no escaping this one and would probably receive a phone call from him ready to swing the “I told you so” to her while she denied to the moon and back. 

Soon the rest of the names were pulled out of the bucket ending with the couples beings Cheryl and Toni, Ethel and Val and Melody with Moose. After the last pairing was made, everyone was allowed to leave for the day which was perfect timing Jughead phone rang. He waited until he was outside in the quietness of the outside before he answered.

Betty looked around her while she closed her locker door. She had to make a pit stop because she had forgotten something that she had to finish for class. She was keeping a lookout for Kevin who tried to catch her before she left the choir room. It was something that she was trying to avoid, and when she saw that the coast was clear, she made a beeline out of the school. She prayed silently to the heavens that Kevin had gotten distracted by something to someone. But to increase her odds, Betty went out the back way to the parking lot and stopped in her tracks when she found Jughead pacing back and forth in front of his car with his fingers tugging on his bottom lip. This was a different unease from his earlier performance dread. No… this look told her that there was something wrong.

Completely forgetting about going home, Betty made her way through the semi-vacant lot to him. “Jughead?” she called out to him. He raised his eyes off the ground to her, and she could see the desperate tension in them. “Is everything okay?” she asked him as she stopped in front of him. Jughead hesitated before opening his mouth, and she had a gut feeling on what he was going to say, so she piped up, “Don’t you dare say it is when I can clearly see that it’s not. Did something happen? Is it Josh? Is he okay?” Betty didn’t mean to spout off so many questions at him, but she couldn’t help but worry. The look in his blue worn out eyes was enough to make her stomach lurch.

Jughead shook his head. “No, nothing happened, and Josh is fine,” he told her slowly biting down on his lip.

“That’s good,” she sighed but still was not satisfied because the look of panic still had not vanished from his face. “Then what is going on? You can tell me Jughead,” she said in a softer voice.

Jughead watched her for a second before letting out a deep sigh. “Do you know that job that I have told you about? The job at the Bijou?”

“Yeah.”

“I was to start this Friday night, but I just got a call from Dewey asking me if could start tonight. He’s had a few people call out on him due to the stomach flu leaving him short-handed for the night,” Jughead explained beginning to pace in front of her once again. “I said that I would, but the problem is that I have no one to watch Josh. My dad has a shift at Pop’s tonight, and I haven’t had the time to find someone else due to school. I was hoping to find someone in the next couple of days, but I don’t know anyone in this town,” he finished with a huff ceasing his pacing to sit down on the bonnet of his car. Betty frowned as she sat down next to him. She hated seeing him like this.

“I don’t know what I am going to do,” he confessed to her, and she could hear the frustration in his voice, “I can’t leave Josh with just anyone.”

“That is a predicament,” Betty agreed, playing with a rogue pebble with the tip of her boot, “But it is going to be okay,” she told him placing a hand on his back, “because there is one option that you do have.”

Jughead snorted. “And what is that?” He closed his eyes as he awaited her answer. But her response was not one he expected.

“Me.”

Jughead turned his head to look at her. “What?” he blinked.

“I can watch Josh for you,” Betty clarified quickly. 

“Are you serious?”

Betty shrugged her shoulders at him. “Deadly serious, Jughead. Let me watch him.”

“Thanks for the offer,” he said shaking his head. “I couldn’t ask you to do that for me, Betty.”

“Why not, Jug?” she challenged him firmly. “I am the one offering and the only one who knows about Josh beside a few people. I also have experience with babysitting as I have watched most of my neighborhoods kids. And I am CPR certified if that is also a problem.”

Jughead raised an eyebrow at this. “Why does that not surprise me? How did you get that?” he asked curiously.

Betty pursed her lips. “I was the volunteer lifeguard at the community pool for a month last summer, and you never know when you are going to need it. It never hurts to be prepared for an emergency Jughead.”

“I don’t know,” Jughead sighed, “ don’t you have something more important to do? What about the planning of the Christmas show?”

“That is why there is something called time management,” she reasoned with him, “I don’t mind watching him. Use tonight as a trial run. If you don’t like it, you can find someone else, and if you do, then I will watch him while you work.”

“What about on the weekends?”

“On the weekends too.”

“Are you sure that you want to do this?” Jughead asked, “I don’t want to be a burden on you.”

Betty narrowed her eyes at him. “Jughead, you and Josh will never be a burden on me,” she stated firmly. “Let me watch him for you,” she said in a much softer tone.

“Okay,” Jughead relented as he really didn’t have any other corner to take. “I think I can give 40 for the week.”

“40?” Betty repeated sounding confused. “40 for what?”

It was Jughead’s turn to be confused. “To pay you for watching Josh,” he said slowly.

Betty shook her head at this. “I don’t want any money Jughead,” she told him firmly. “Nor am I asking for it.”

Jughead was stunned. “Please let me give you at little compensation for taking your time out of your life to help my kid and me.”

“Jughead,” Betty began with a burning fire that set her green eyes a deeper color. “If you so much flash a one dollar bill at me I will be offended. I can’t stand the idea of charging my friends when offering my help.”

Jughead smiled softly at her. “We are friends, huh?”

“Of course we are” Betty began getting off the hood of the car. “After you saved me from falling on my ass that day, there was no going back. Our friendship bed was made right there on the steps of my house.”

“I see,” Jughead snickered standing up as well, “So, do you call all of your friends hot?” he asked her on a teasing note. “Or am I just a special friend?”

“That went straight to your head, didn’t it? Now, stop stalling and go get that baby and meet me at my house in twenty minutes,” Betty said walking away from him before turning back around to face. “And no. I don’t think you are hot.”

“Sure you don’t.”

Betty glowered at him. “I don’t! See you at my house, Jughead,” she yelled over her shoulder at him as she continued on her way leaving him standing in the middle of a parking lot smiling like a big idiot his most recent worries completely forgotten.

Twenty minutes later, Betty was running around her home like a chicken with her head cut off. She was trying to baby proof as much as she could before Jughead’s arrival. She stuck any cords behind their parents, she covered the outlets with covers, and even put those rubber corner protectors on all of the tables. Betty then ran the vacuum over the floor to make sure that there nothing that Josh could pick up and put in his mouth. When she was done, she looked around wondering what else she could do. Maybe she should have stopped at the store to buy some things. Well, Betty knew what she was doing with her weekend, and that was shopping for toys. Josh was going to need a few things to play with while he was here with her. This had her sitting down at the island looking up the coolest baby toys. She also wanted Josh to be completely comfortable. Jughead would have one less thing he had to worry about if Josh was happy here. Maybe she could get some other things if this were to become a regular thing.

_ Tap tap tap tap _

At the sound, Betty put her phone down hopped out of her stool and opened the door. She smiled when she saw Jughead holding a pink-nosed Josh in one arm and a diaper bag that was ready to fall to the ground at any second. “Let me take that,” she said reaching out to grab the bag from him and placing it on the floor as he made his way into the house.

Betty turned around smiling warmly at Josh. “Hi there handsome,” she said to the little boy. “Do you want to come play with me for a while?” she asked him. Josh gave her a big grin before holding out his arms for her. Betty’s heart melted as Jughead handed him over to her.

“I don’t know what time I get off,” Jughead told her scratching at his neck. “I will text you when I find out. I hope it won’t be too late.”

“Okay.”

Jughead pointed to the bag. “Everything you need is in here. He has a few of his favorite toys, cheerios, bottles, and milk.”

“Sounds good.”

Jughead’s eyes turned to Josh. “You be a good boy for Daddy. Make sure you listen to Betty,” he said in a silly voice. “I will be back after a while. I promise.” He took one of Josh’s little hands and pressed a kiss to it. This was the part that Jughead hated the most. He knew that he would be fine but always felt guilty for leaving him behind even though he wasn’t.

Jughead straightened up. “Let me know if you need anything or if anything goes wrong,” he said to Betty. “Please take good care of him for me?” he asked his blue eyes earnest. 

Betty smiled softly at him. “I promise that I will,” she told him holding Josh a little closer to her. 

Jughead held her gaze. “He’s the most important person in my life,” he told her reaching up to stroke Josh’s cheek with his thumb.

Betty had to swallow against the lump in her throat. “I know he is, Jug. He’s going to be okay with me,” she promised him. “If you want to, you can call me or text me every hour or when you can, and I will give you an update.”

Jughead nodded. “That would be great. I need to go before I am late,” he said pointing to the door.

“Yes, you do. You don’t want to be late on your first day.”

Jughead leaned forward pressing his lips to Josh’s forehead. “I will see you soon,” he told Josh before moving and pressing his lips to Betty’s forehead before walking to the door. Jughead froze with his hand on the doorknob as he realized what he just did. He turned back around to see Betty smiling at him.

“I’m sorry,” he rasped feeling like an idiot.

“It is totally fine,” she said with laughter pressing against the dam. Jughead knew that it would not take much for it to break. “Now that is the kind of payment I would take,” she teased with a giggle.

“Maybe we could arrange it into a payment plan,” Jughead suggested wiping the smile off her face. “Just let me know,” he told her.

“Seriously?”

It was Jughead’s turn to break into laughter. “No,” he snorted as she rolled her eyes. “You should have seen the look your face.”

“Get out of here before I tell everyone that you are a big softie,” Betty warned cockily.

“Go ahead,” Jughead challenged her. “And when you do, I will be sure to tell everyone that you think I am hot.” The glare she gave him had Jughead sniggering while he walked out the door knowing that he had won that round. 

“Jughead!”

He twisted around to see Betty standing in the opened doorway with Josh facing him. “Say bye, Daddy,” she said waving his little hand at him. He gave them a wave before getting into the car. As he was pulling out of the driveway, he felt his phone vibrate. When Jughead came to a stop sign, he pulled it to see that he had a text message from Betty. He opened it to read.

_ “Okay. Maybe I do.” _

Jughead smiled to himself while he shook his head as he tossed his phone into the passenger seat just as a horn blasted from behind. He jumped at the unexpected down and looked in his rearview mirror to see another car waiting. Oops. “Sorry,” he said raising his hand at the other driver as he pressed on the gas pedal to go, but in all truthness, he was not sorry at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all of the love, kudos, and feedback! They are truly awesome like you guys are.


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